


bloom bloom pow!

by daaniiies



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bottom Hwang Hyunjin, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Felix having None of it, Flowers, Hwang Hyunjin Being an Asshole, Jeongin being shameless, Jisung being both the best and worst friend ever, Kinda?, M/M, Slow Burn, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, felix has two dads and they're both extra, i wanted to write about 10k but this happened, idek, no bathtub sex, obviously, or just
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:01:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 28,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23921983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daaniiies/pseuds/daaniiies
Summary: It was bad enough that Hyunjin had his family pressuring him to find his soulmate and get married soon, just so he could become more responsible and take his father's position at the company.He didn't need his soulmate to be Felix Lee.or:Hyunjin and Felix can't stand each other but not only they're heirs to the same company, they're also soulmates.
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Felix, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 395





	bloom bloom pow!

**Author's Note:**

> hi 😳  
> it took me 3 months to stop running from this plot and 6 to actually write it... also it wasn't supposed to be this big but when do i ever have control over wtv i write really??? but i enjoyed it so there's that.  
> one of the explicit scenes was written next to my praying grandma so i believe this fic is blessed 😔
> 
> disclaimer(s)!!!  
> \- english is not my first language so i'm sorry about any mistake ;;  
> \- i did some research on how companies work but know nothing about business management so it might be inaccurate  
> \- jeongin is underage in this but he's also 19 and there are various mentions about him being sexually active (and open about it), if that makes you uncomfortable in any way you might not want to read this
> 
> if you're giving this a chance, thank you! 🥰  
> you can find me on twt @ danswrtng

❀

He had no idea when it happened. All he knew was that, when he left home that morning, his soulmate mark looked exactly like it had in the previous months. Then, at some point, it had changed. But he noticed it only when he was getting ready to sleep; a little peach blossom getting his attention on his left ear, with tiny soft red petals splashed near his ear lobe.

Turned his own head a bit to take a better look at his own reflection in the mirror, touching his ear with fingertips of his right hand and only half expecting to be able to feel the small petals marked on his skin. He couldn’t. The same way he couldn’t feel the tiny red buds and the same way he hadn’t been able to feel the mark slowly growing since the month of his eighteenth anniversary. If he was able to feel any change on it, it would probably be a lot easier.

Not that he was one of those who were dying to have their complete mark and meet their soulmate – he wasn’t, at all. He was just unlucky enough to have a handful of family members who love to comment specifically about that part of his personal life. About how he should look for his soulmate and get married soon, since that would make him more responsible and capable of taking care of the family’s business. About how, back in the day, they were already expecting kids when they were his age.

Hyunjin didn’t want to get married that soon – he was barely twenty years old, for god’s sake! – so he knew enough about soulmate marks to argue that maybe it wasn’t the right time yet, since his soulmate might be a lot younger. It was basically the only information about their soulmate one could get from the mark alone, depending on which ear they had it. Having his mark on his left ear meant Hyunjin was older than his soulmate.

Not much older, apparently. Not that these calculations were anything to go by, but Hyunjin’s mark had stopped growing only a couple months ago, with ten soft red peach buds that started from his ear lobe and followed thin twigs up to the highest point of his helix. For the first bud to blossom, it meant that also his soulmate had completed their mark. It was impossible to calculate the age difference, cause everyone’s mark grew at its own pace, but it was common knowledge that the blossoming would start only after both soulmates have all their buds, the complete mark – and these would blossom for both of them together, one for every time they met.

Having the first flower opening in his ear also meant that his soulmate was someone he had crossed paths with during that day.

Hyunjin had absolutely no idea who it could be.

❀

A second bud opened just a couple days after. But again, Hyunjin wasn’t paying enough attention to even notice when in the day it had happened. To tell the truth, on that specific day he was completely out of patience for anything soulmate related; he didn’t even want to start thinking about it, let alone check his mark for any change. All he wanted was to fall on Minho’s bed and moan all his problems away for a couple hours.

Minho was the one noticing it.

Sometime after he came back to bed and let himself fall almost on top of Hyunjin; his naked body still sticky with sweat and his breathing still slightly irregular while he got Hyunjin’s chest and abdomen clean with a wet tissue. Sometime between looking back up at Hyunjin and letting his eyes travel down again, to his ear. A smirk curved his lips before he calmly informed:

\- **You saw them again** – his voice amused and his expression satisfied, like he just purely enjoyed the idea that Hyunjin was on his bed again even though he had found his soulmate. – **There’s a second flower.** – continued when Hyunjin said nothing.

Hyunjin sighed heavily. – **I didn’t even notice.** – mumbled, not moving except to look at the ceiling. While Minho walked out of bed again, he thought for a moment about who he had met that day.

\- **So you still don’t know who it is** – Minho assumed while coming back, mere seconds before throwing himself on his bed again.

Hyunjin shook his head – **No idea** – and sighed again. – **I can already hear my mom complaining about how I don’t take this seriously.**

\- **Maybe you have ten buds cause it’s not someone easy to find.** – he suggested. – **I mean, it could be literally almost anyone at college. Maybe you should register on one of those soulmate apps where you can scan your mark and** –

\- **Oh, please.**

\- **It’s a valid option.** – Minho argued, getting Hyunjin to look at him again.

\- **Is it really?** – he looked pointedly at Minho’s left ear, finding all of his three sunflower buds still closed.

\- **Well, I’m not in a hurry.**

\- **Neither am I.** – Hyunjin sighed, looking away. Just for Minho to climb on top of him to get some attention.

\- **You’re frowning again** – pointed out, almost laughing at him. – **Should I fuck your bad mood away? Again?**

\- **Yes, please.**

❀

\- **I think I know who my soulmate might be.** – Hyunjin got in as soon as the door opened, visibly stressed out. It took a moment for Jisung to even stop looking at the empty hallway.

\- **Well, good evening, Jisung, my bestest friend. How have you been? Haven’t seen you in days, you look even prettier!** – the mocking tone bubbled in sarcastic happiness as he closed the door and turned back to look at Hyunjin.

\- **I’m gonna throw myself out of your window.** – he finished with a frustrated moan, letting himself fall on the couch.

\- **A tad dramatic but nothing I haven’t considered** – Jisung soon joined him on his couch, clearly still surprised about the sudden outburst. – **Are you gonna tell me what’s going on or will you make me ask?**

Instead of trying to explain it right away, Hyunjin simply turned his head so Jisung could see his left ear. The soulmate mark on his left ear, now with three soft red peach blossoms between seven still closed buds. Again, it took Jisung a moment to actually react.

\- **Oh, you got one more! So, who is it?**

\- **I’m not sure.** – Hyunjin sighed, trying to deal with all the frustration. – **It might be Felix.** – and even more than hating his own words, he hated how his best friend’s first reaction was to start laughing.

\- **_The_ Felix?**

\- **It is not funny.** – he almost growled every word, slowly, while Jisung just turned away, shaking while trying to control his own laughter.

Honestly, Hyunjin should’ve expected that kind of reaction. The reasons why he went to Jisung trying to ease his frustration and deal with the idea were that, on top of being his best friend, Jisung also knew who Felix was and how Hyunjin felt about him. But he miscalculated, clearly, because his idiot of a friend was more inclined to laugh at his bad luck instead of helping him in any way.

\- **Sorry but this is hilarious.**

\- **I fucking hate you.**

\- **Sure**. – Jisung promptly agreed, still half laughing at him but managing to put on a straight face. – **So why do you think it’s him? Is that wishful thinking? You finally ready to admit you’re attracted to him?**

\- **Am not.** – his answer was immediate. When Jisung raised an eyebrow at him, Hyunjin continued with a protest – **He’s literally the last person on Earth I’d want as my soulmate! God, if it really is him I’ll never hear the end of it.** – he hid his face in his hands, thinking about how annoying his parents would be about this issue.

\- **I doubt it’s that bad.**

Hyunjin took a deep breath, trying to calm down before looking up at Jisung again. – **It is. You know they keep getting on my nerves with all his accomplishments cause he’s just so good and perfect, if he’s my soulmate they’ll just force me to marry him so they can finally have a perfect boy in the family.**

\- **It’s a shame two males can’t conceive, you’d have such pretty babies.** – Jisung was not even listening.

\- **I’m about to punch you in the face.** – that seemed to get a proper reaction out of Jisung; his eyes opening wider in shock.

\- **Why would you damage my pretty face?!**

\- **I swear to god.**

\- **Alright but you still haven’t told me why you think it’s him.** – Jisung tried to be serious, for once, though he was probably half faking it. – **Elaborate, please. Did you notice his mark?**

\- **No** – obviously, why would he even get that close and personal with Felix, out of all people? – **But I noticed my mark only changed on days I visited the company and who do I always see when I go there and happens to be a little younger than me? Felix**. – he paused to see Jisung nod. – **So I went there earlier today and of course I saw him there cause he always goes there since he’s so perfect and interested in taking over the company** – he was rambling and knew it, but with all that frustration prickling at his skin he just couldn’t stop himself. – **And now I have one more!** – protested, pointing at his own ear.

Jisung blinked at him. **– Isn’t that cute girl at the reception also younger than you?** – he furrowed his eyebrows, thinking. – **What’s her name? Yujin?**

\- **It’s Ryujin.** – Hyunjin corrected him, slightly calming down. – **She’s about my age but I don’t know for sure.**

\- **So you’re assuming it’s Felix even though there’s at least one other option?** – he was teasing him.

Hyunjin turned to him in disbelief. – **I’m gay, you dumb ass! Why would my soulmate be a girl?!**

\- **Then why would it be someone you’re supposedly not attracted to?** – Jisung bat his eyelashes in fake innocence. Hyunjin genuinely had to look away to stop himself from punching him in the face, instead using his fingers to press the bridge of his nose while taking a deep breath and trying to calm down.

❀

Confirmation came way too soon.

Just a couple days after getting his suspicions, his dad summoned him to the company to talk about some important issue, so Hyunjin took the chance to peek at Ryujin’s soulmate mark when he met her at the front desk. Not that it made any sense for her to be his soulmate but he’d rather marry her than Felix. Unfortunately, even though she had it on her right ear, her mark consisted of five rose buds, all still closed.

And then he came in.

\- **Oh look, one more pretty boy** – Ryujin’s smile got bigger for someone behind Hyunjin.

\- **Hello, miss Shin** – his deep voice was all too familiar, so Hyunjin didn’t even need to look to know it was Felix who stopped at his left.

\- **I’ll be going up then** – Hyunjin got the girl’s attention back, just for her to nod in agreement before he walked away from there. Still, he was able to hear their small interaction.

\- **I have a meeting with my dad, he should be at his office.**

\- **I think so. You can go up too, I’ll let him know.**

Not far enough, Hyunjin pushed the button to get an elevator, still avoiding any kind of eye contact with the other boy. The one good thing about their relationship was that they were on the same page about it, so Felix didn’t even try to get his attention or talk to him any more than when they were forced to. That’s why he just stopped next to him in silence, going through social networks on his phone until the doors in front of them finally opened.

When Felix got in first, Hyunjin rolled his eyes at the attitude, also getting in and taking the free space to Felix’s right. He didn’t need to select the floor cause the other boy did it first, so he just rested his back against the metallic wall, waiting for the doors to open again at the top floor. It was then that he couldn’t fight his own curiosity.

Felix was right there in front of him, still looking at his phone; all he had to do was look up a bit to see his right ear.

So he did. And he saw peach buds.

Tiny, soft red peach buds. Some of them still closed but he didn’t mind counting how many, for three of them were already fully bloomed and a fourth one was starting to.

Hyunjin huffed a small laugh in disbelief, looking away while taking a deep breath and topping his frustration with a sigh. This had to be some kind of joke. Destiny couldn’t possibly be so cruel.

\- **It really took you this long to notice.** – Felix commented on it, his voice calm and void of the sympathy it had just moments earlier.

\- **It didn’t** – gritting his teeth, Hyunjin felt his patience boiling. – **I was just hoping it was a lie.**

\- **Glad we agree on that.**

Their trip ended before he could answer back; the doors opening and Felix getting out first, promptly walking to the offices at the end of the corridor. Hyunjin followed, mumbling to himself about the lack of respect – he was older, after all! – and that was when he saw his father coming out of Mr. Lee’s office.

Suddenly, he didn’t have a good feeling about that meeting.

\- **You’re both here, great!** – smiling, his father turned to point at the door he had just opened. – **Get in, please.**

\- **Good afternoon, Mr. Hwang**. – Felix bowed before making his way inside the office.

\- **Dad, what is this about?** – Hyunjin had to ask, suspicious about pretty much everything at that point. His father simply smiled at him, guiding him to also get inside the room.

As soon as they got in, it was Mr. Lee who was walking up to Hyunjin; the biggest smile splashed on his face. – **Hyunjin, good to see you!** – he greeted while Hyunjin smiled back and bowed.

\- **Hi, Mr. Lee.** – greeted back, coming back up just in time to see the man getting closer.

Instead of backing away, Mr. Lee stopped near him and tilted his head to look at his left ear. When his smile got even bigger and he exchanged a look with Hyunjin’s father, Hyunjin was sure nothing good would come out of whatever that event was.

\- **It’s true.** – said Mr. Lee, clearly enjoying the moment. – **This is wonderful news!**

\- **Did you call us here cause we’re soulmates?** – Felix spoke up first, eyes on his own father. He continued when the man nodded in agreement. – **Does dad know about this?**

\- **Of course, honey. It was actually his idea, I just talked it over with Mr. Hwang. Come, you two, have a sit.** – it was almost an order, though Mr. Lee’s voice was calm and gentle as always, so both of them followed. – **As you know, we own 80% of this company,** – he started right away, still walking to his own chair to sit down; Hyunjin’s father taking an empty one by the side of the big desk. – **But since you two are soulmates, we’ve decided to kinda make you shareholders and get you an apartment.**

\- **Kinda?** – Felix repeated, while Hyunjin just turned to his father in disbelief.

\- **What will happen is each of you will own 10% of the company** – the other man began explaining; his voice clearly firmer and more commanding than that of Felix’s father. – **And the profit you get from it will pay for your apartment and expenses, any extra will be yours to manage**.

\- **Our apartment?** – it was Hyunjin to question the idea that time around, incredulous. – **You want us to live together?** – and though it was directed at his own father, it was the other man who answered.

\- **We think you’re not very close cause you don’t see each other enough, so we wanna help.** – he smiled calmly, almost making Hyunjin feel bad for speaking up. – **Your mother will help you look for a nice apartment close to both your universities and my husband will also help you in any way he can.**

\- **Can we do all of that in the next two weeks or so?** – asked Felix, apparently calm.

\- **Are you in a hurry?!**

\- **I’ll need to focus on my midterms after that, don’t want it to distract me.** – he promptly ignored Hyunjin’s protest, keeping all his attention on their fathers. – **And if it was dad’s idea I’m sure he’s already looking for some options, right?**

\- **You know how he is** – Mr. Lee’s smile grew bigger, full of endearment directed at his own husband.

\- **It’s settled then!** – Hyunjin’s own father decided, apparently pleased.

\- **What if I don’t want it?!** – Hyunjin protested once again, immediately getting a stern look from his dad.

\- **Why wouldn’t you?** – one of his eyebrows rose. – **You’ve been wanting to get your own apartment since high school; now you can have it and no one will have to worry cause you two can take care of each other. It’s your destiny, after all.**

\- **I think it’s a nice idea.** – Felix spoke while Hyunjin was unable to, making Hyunjin turn to him, speechless in pure disbelief.

\- **I remember when me and my husband first started living together** – resting back on his big chair, Mr. Lee mumbled like he was just thinking out loud, looking at his son only after a moment. – **Please don’t try to have sex in a bathtub, dad almost broke his arm.**

\- **Jeongyong!** – the other man soon protested, giving Mr. Lee a pointed look that only made him laugh.

\- **We’ll keep that in mind.** – Felix answered anyway, having the audacity to look displeased for the first time in that entire conversation.

Hyunjin gave up, biting back any kind of response. Their parents seemed to have it all figured out and Felix was not going against them for some unknown reason so there was nothing he could do but accept it. So he just silently agreed for the rest of the meeting, signed whatever papers he had to sign to become one of the shareholders in the company and left as soon as he was allowed to.

❀

\- **I think this is the best one so far.** – James said while he was still looking around at the apartment.

Hyunjin always liked him better than Mr. Lee; perhaps because he was younger, perhaps because he clearly liked Hyunjin a lot. Still, he was considering changing his mind about him now for how fast he and his own mother were able to get them to check some apartments. Sure, he knew it would be fast since his mother worked as a real estate agent, but it really didn’t need to be _that_ fast.

\- **I agree!** – the woman immediately answered, standing at the center of the living room; her fancy business folder pressed against her chest. – **So much I actually had to cancel a client’s visit here, pretty sure they’d take it.** – added, slowly spinning a little to look around. – **Great location, great design and a really nice price. Boys, what do you think?** – she looked at Felix first, watching him come back from one of the rooms.

\- **I like it.** – he nodded, still looking around. – **But I don’t know if having just one bathroom is fine for Hyunjin, he might not be used to share.** – he went on; tone apparently casual and innocent.

Hyunjin could read between the lines though. Unlike Felix, who spent his entire childhood in Australia surrounded by other children living in the same house as him, Hyunjin was always an only child growing up in a wealthy home. He had only one cousin around his age and that didn’t change much cause Yeji was a girl, so they were kept at some distance and it was like he never really had to share anything in his life.

\- **Well, at least it has no tub**.

\- **Dad**. – Felix immediately stopped his own father.

\- **What? Showers are a lot safer**. – James still replied; a small grin on his face.

\- **I’ll take the master bedroom, then.** – Hyunjin faked a smile at his mother. – **I’m not that used to share, after all, and I need a lot of space.** – but she just smiled, not noticing or just not caring about his attitude.

\- **We’ll let you two decide that. I’ll go make some calls to close the deal** – with a radiant smile on her red tinted lips, she walked towards James first, grabbing one of his arms to pull him. – **You come with me**. – added, though the man was already walking with her.

\- **I’m glad you finally agreed to one** – Felix talked as soon as the two of them were left alone. – **I have more important stuff to do.** – he let himself fall on the couch. That was the third apartment they were visiting but apparently it felt like the thirteenth for both of them.

\- **I don’t know why you agreed to this to begin with.** – retorted, walking closer to the sliding door that led to the balcony. – **Thought we were on the same page but now you wanna live together?**

\- **You think I wanna live with you?!** – he huffed a laugh and rolled his eyes. – **Please**. – his deep voice got _deeper_ , tone void of enthusiasm. – **I’m just agreeing to stop them from thinking about something worse, don’t actually plan on spending time with you.**

\- **Good**. – Hyunjin spat back at him, rolling his eyes before looking away.

❀

Unsurprisingly, things didn’t change much in the first week or so. They moved in at different times – Felix first, Hyunjin a couple of days after – and it was like they had previously agreed to simply avoid each other. Minho’s apartment was close enough, so Hyunjin ended up spending most of his time there, sometimes not even going back to his own apartment at all, but he suspected Felix wasn’t staying there for long either. More frequently than not, Hyunjin would go back to an empty apartment and the only signs that there was someone else living there too were that Felix claimed some of the bathroom cabinets, almost half the kitchen and Hyunjin could sometimes hear music coming from the other bedroom – its door closed at all times. On wednesdays, a nice middle aged lady would come to help them with cleaning and doing the laundry and Hyunjin saw her more often than he saw Felix.

And then midterm exams got closer. Hyunjin’s grades were good in general but not perfect, since he had to work for them and sometimes he just... didn’t. It was hard enough to just focus on studying, let alone when his parents would remind him at every single chance about how Felix was better, with perfect grades and perfect reputation at his university. Without them around, it should be easier to focus and get some studying done. Except it wasn’t, because Felix was right there, next door, as a living reminder of how Hyunjin couldn’t be as good. And he wasn’t even studying, apparently!

Since he also couldn’t really focus at a library or coffee shop, Hyunjin always studied at home, in the quiet of his bedroom, and that made him stay at the apartment a lot more. That’s when he noticed Felix actually spent some time there during the day and only went out when it started to get dark but, since it was exam season for him as well, he gradually started doing that a lot less. It shouldn’t be a problem; they could just stay in their rooms and continue to ignore each other while studying for their exams, and yet...

It was literally not possible that Felix could be studying with music and laughter echoing from his bedroom. Not that any of it was too loud but, with walls that thin, Hyunjin could hear almost every single thing, completely ruining his focus. So he snapped.

Getting up from his chair, Hyunjin left his bedroom to enter the other one in one go, just to immediately stop in his tracks. If asked, he’d guarantee the reason for him to stop that fast was because it was his very first time entering that room so it naturally took him some time to locate the source for the music. It was definitely unrelated to Felix half undressed sitting on the floor and resting against his own bed, with some unknown boy sitting on his lap and licking at his mouth; some soju bottles next to them. As soon as Hyunjin located the laptop on the desk, he walked to shut it up by slamming the screen closed, soon turning to look at the other boys.

\- **Hyung, you didn’t tell me your flatmate was hot.** – unknown boy said, now resting his head on Felix’s shoulder so he could look at Hyunjin with a pleased smile on his face.

\- **Is he really?**

\- **I’m trying to study.** – Hyunjin ignored his soulmate’s comment and gritted his teeth when Felix rolled his eyes at him. – **Shouldn’t you be doing that too? Think I recall you saying you needed to focus on your midterms.** – almost growled at him, but both boys just laughed.

\- **I don’t need to study that hard, I’m already a top student.** – was what Felix answered, followed by one more half-drunk laugh from the boy on his lap.

\- **Are you mad?** – he sounded as pleased as he sounded drunk, laughing a bit more. – **You sound so hot when you’re mad, don’t you wanna be other kind of top for me?** – teased, with hands going up under Felix’s unbuttoned shirt.

Hyunjin was standing right there, but none of them seemed to mind it at all. Not even Felix, whose eyes were still fixated on Hyunjin’s while he also smiled, approving of the teasing and focusing back on his friend as soon as he started kissing at his neck. One single low moan from his deep voice made Hyunjin boil with anger.

\- **Just keep it quiet.** – demanded, turning to leave and slamming both bedroom doors on his way.

He stopped only near his glass balcony door; fists clenched at his side while tears burned at his eyes. It had been a while since he got furious to the point of tearing up and yet Felix managed to do it in maybe less than a minute. How could _that_ be his soulmate? Hyunjin was not physically aggressive at all, so he would probably never do it, but at that moment the most intense feeling he had for Felix was that of wanting to punch him right in the face.

❀

\- **I brought pizza!** – Jisung happily informed as soon as Hyunjin opened the door for him. – **Your favorite.** – added, while Hyunjin allowed him in with a small smile on his face. – **Hi, Felix!** – he then greeted, looking away for a moment.

Hyunjin heard Felix greeting Jisung back but refused to look in his direction, simply closing the door. He guided his friend to the living room, letting himself fall on the couch first and watching Jisung follow. With worried puppy-like eyes on him, his friend opened one of the boxes and took a slice of pizza out to give it to Hyunjin.

\- **Was it that bad?**

\- **I think I failed the most important exam in the semester.** – Hyunjin accepted the pizza slice being offered to him, taking a small bite at it. – **I’m so angry.** – mumbled, soon feeling tears burn at his eyes.

\- **Don’t push yourself too hard.** – Jisung took a big bite at a pizza slice, still giving him puppy eyes. – **You can always retry it, right?**

\- **Does it matter if I can’t fucking focus?** – he tried to blink his tears away, resting his head on the top of the couch and looking at the ceiling. – **My life is a fucking nightmare.**

\- **Oh, this is not only about the exam, is it? Is it** – he pointed at the door to Felix’s room and Hyunjin sighed. – **Well, he’s quite the distraction.**

\- **He’s driving me crazy.** – it was almost a growl but, as usual, his friend remained unbothered about it.

\- **In a sexual way?**

\- **In a _I wanna murder him_ way. **– Hyunjin resisted the urge to slap Jisung with his bitten pizza slice. – **He’s just so–**

\- **Hot?** – Jisung tried, though it was obvious in his expression that he knew that wasn’t the answer.

\- **Infuriating**. – he sat up to place the pizza slice back in the box, suddenly not hungry at all. – **He thinks he’s smarter and better than everyone else and just pretends to be nice and innocent around our families but truth is he barely does anything other than going out and getting drunk and fucking this Jeongin kid who thinks I’m interested in being friends with him and I can’t stand them!** – clenching his fists, he just let it all out, boiling with anger just by thinking about the most recent week.

\- **Oh** – Jisung mumbled, apparently taken aback. – **Alright so… I’m gonna try not to use the J word.** – he chewed at his pizza, just to choke on it when Hyunjin gave him a furious look. It took him some time to recover. – **Listen, just** – he stopped himself, maybe reconsidering. – **Have you tried to get to know each other better?** – suggested, continuing when Hyunjin rolled his eyes at him. – **I’m just saying. I had a similar opinion about you first, before I found out you’re actually a big cute baby.** – and ended it with a pout, blinking cutely at him.

\- **We’ve been living together for over a month**.

\- **You’ve been _avoiding_ each other for over a month. **– his friend corrected. – **What does he eat for breakfast?**

\- **I don’t give a shit what he eats for breakfast!** – Hyunjin answered without a trace of hesitation.

\- **He’s your soulmate! You’re compatible somehow.** – argued Jisung, indignation reaching his voice.

Before Hyunjin could actually answer with more than a frustrated growl, though, the doorbell rang to get their attention. So he took the opportunity to stomp all the way to the door, opening without even asking who was there and being greeted by a face that was inevitably familiar by now.

\- **Hello, pretty boy!**

\- **He’s not home.** – he answered before he could stop himself, immediately closing the door to Jeongin’s face.

\- **Did you just** –

\- **Who do you think you are?** – a deep voice Hyunjin knew all too well interrupted Jisung’s question.

When he turned around, it was on time to see Felix walking towards him; eyes intense and face serious. Instead of going for confrontation, his soulmate tried to walk past him and reach the door, but then it was Hyunjin who moved towards him, crossing his path and making him stop.

\- **I don’t want him here.** – Hyunjin spoke up while Felix just furrowed his eyebrows at him.

\- **And why would I give a shit about what you want?**

\- **Well, I live here too!** – he argued, not looking away for a single second and seeing the other boy huffing a laugh in disbelief.

\- **Don’t worry, I’ll keep him off your half of the apartment**. – Felix tried again to reach for the door and, again, Hyunjin stopped him in a matter of seconds; their bodies almost meeting in the process, closer than they had ever been. – **Will you get off my face already?!**

\- **I won’t!** – Hyunjin’s voice got a little louder, a little angrier. – **You allowed this** – gestured to basically the whole apartment around them. – **And it’s bad enough as it is, I don’t need you to make it worse.**

\- **Unbelievable**. – Felix mumbled under his breath, looking away for a moment. – **You really think this is hell to you only?! So you can have friends over to make it better but I can’t? Is that it?!** – he too raised his voice; eyes meeting Hyunjin’s again.

\- **Except I’m not fucking him just to spite you, am I?!** – he spat back and silence followed; Hyunjin realizing his own words way too late and Felix absorbing the information.

\- **So... he said that.** – Jisung then whispered and faked a cough, slowly getting up from the couch. – **I’ll be going now.** – announced, walking to the door but keeping some kind of safe distance from the other two. – **Keep the pizza and call me if you need anything.** – he added as he opened the door to leave. – **Hi, I’m Jisung, nice to meet you** – Hyunjin could still hear before Jisung closed the door again.

\- **You think I have sex with other people just to spite you?** – Felix questioned in disbelief and Hyunjin huffed out of frustration, looking away.

\- **You brought him here on purpose during midterms! And even made sure I knew about it while I was trying to study, something you don’t even need cause you’re just so great at everything, right?! Does it make you feel good to step on my pride?!** – he protested, at this point not even caring if he was making sense at all.

\- **You’re ridiculous!** – Felix protested back at him. – **I guess no one ever told you that the world doesn’t revolve around you, so let me break it down real quick** – he got closer and his voice lower, sounding more threatening than ever before. – **Who I fuck has nothing to do with you and is none of your god damn business. If your pride is hurt, deal with it.** – Felix stepped away, but just to turn back to Hyunjin right after. – **Or better yet, go ask dad to fix it for you like he fixes everything else! It’s what he does all the time, isn’t it? Just so no one notices little Hyunjin isn’t perfect at all.** – and then he stepped away again, walking to his room.

\- **I fucking hate you so much** – Hyunjin whispered between gritted teeth and felt himself tearing up, hurt and boiling with rage. To his surprise, Felix turned around again with exactly the same feeling in his eyes.

\- **Well, I fucking noticed! You’ve been doing it since we first met, thank you very much!** – he answered, ending in a sarcastic note and proceeding to walk back to his bedroom, slamming his door on the way.

❀

It took them some days to speak to each other again. And even though they had been avoiding each other for more than an entire month, Hyunjin found out ignoring Felix after a fight was _harder_ than simply avoiding him; just hearing the other boy walk around in the apartment would bring back all the things they said to each other and Hyunjin couldn’t stand thinking about those any longer.

\- **We should talk.** – he was surprised at himself for taking the first step, waiting in the living room area for Felix to get home after his classes.

Instead of answering, the other boy finished taking his shoes off and slowly got closer, leaving his bag at the small coffee table and sitting on the couch in front of Hyunjin. He kept the silence with an expressionless face, waiting, and Hyunjin looked down for a moment before speaking again.

\- **I’m sorry**. – he mumbled and, for a moment, Felix kept silent, as if analyzing the words.

\- **About what exactly?**

Hyunjin looked up at him again, thinking back not only to the things Felix had said to him but also to the ones he had heard from Jisung. Maybe they were just wrong about each other because they had bad first impressions. Maybe they really had more in common than their parents’ company and their soulmate marks.

\- **That scene the other day.** – finally answered, looking away again just because he was unable to stand the intense look in the other’s eyes. When Felix still kept his silence, Hyunjin continued without looking at him. – **I have no right to forbid you having friends over, I was just really on edge because of midterms. And I don’t... actually hate you, I was just mad.** – pausing, he took a look at Felix again. – **You really get on my damn nerves.** – added, rolling his eyes at him.

\- **I get on your nerves** – Felix repeated the idea, apparently calm about it. – **How so?** – he raised one eyebrow.

Hyunjin wondered for a moment about why he was asking and if he should take the chance to be honest. – **You always did.**

\- **I’ve literally never done anything to you at all? Not that I recall?** – his words got a little faster, showing indignation.

\- **You agreed to get an apartment together and I’m your soulmate but you’re bringing other boys home** – Hyunjin furrowed his eyebrows at him, starting to boil when Felix decided to laugh.

\- **So it all comes down to you being jealous cause I’m not fucking you instead?** – he rested back on the couch, delighted as Hyunjin simply lost his words and looked back at him like he had just been slapped.

\- **I’m not– Why would I– Listen.** – after stumbling so much on his words, Hyunjin took a deep breath. – **I couldn’t care less about who you fuck** –

\- **Yet here you are being mad about it.** – Felix interrupted. – **Again!** – added, raising his eyebrows and crossing his arms at his chest but still having the audacity to look calm. As opposed to Hyunjin, who just stared back for a moment before getting up, visibly off-balance.

\- **You are unnerving** – practically growled, ready to stomp his way to his room but being stopped right there by a hand grabbing his wrist to pull him to the couch again. – **I’m trying to apologize and be honest with you so we can maybe work things out and you’re just pissing me off with your bullshit!** – protested as he fell back on the couch.

\- **Alright, let’s be honest then.** – his voice got completely serious, conveying the same feeling as his eyes when they met Hyunjin’s. – **I admit I allowed Jeongin to go a little overboard and be a little louder than he usually is just to see your reaction to it and I did expect the drama but didn’t think you’d actually get jealous.** – easily revealed, continuing right when Hyunjin tried to deny it. – **Still. No, I didn’t bring him here just to spite you. I did it cause he’s a good friend of mine who I occasionally have sex with.** – a small smile curved his lips. – **And he did wanna tease you when I told him you’re my soulmate but hate me for some reason.**

\- **Now, why do you keep saying it like that?! I know you can’t stand me either!** – Hyunjin protested then, in disbelief.

\- **Cause you’re a self-centered spoiled kid who hates me for absolutely no reason?** – Felix spat back, mimicking what was supposed to be Hyunjin’s expression.

Hyunjin looked away with a huff, displeased. – **I think you being fake, rude and arrogant is enough reason though!** – he turned back to Felix, who rolled his eyes at him.

\- **You barely know me.**

\- **Well, my parents think they do, which is enough for them to make my life hell.** – grumbled Hyunjin, getting up once again. – **I wonder what they would say if they knew perfect Felix is not so perfect either.** – he still added before walking away.

\- **And yet you still want me to fuck you** – Felix teased, raising his voice to almost sing the words.

\- **I’d rather die!** – Hyunjin yelled back at him, right before getting into his room.

❀

His first mistake was deciding to do it at home. The second was putting earphones on. But he was stressed out of his mind, had no time to actually go to the studio and didn’t want to give Felix any reason to interrupt him.

So he took advantage of the free space on his bedroom, cleared some stuff from the floor and opened his dancing playlist on his phone, choosing earphones instead of speakers to make it as loud as he wished but still keep it to himself only. Then he warmed up and started to dance, sometimes even closing his eyes and feeling the music run through him; his body moving almost on its own. And thanks to this level of focus and the loud music in his ears, he had no idea at what point he started being watched; all he knew was that he suddenly noticed a presence so he turned to look at the door and there Felix was, nearly making him jump out of his skin.

\- **Could you knock?!** – he protested immediately, slapping one hand against his own chest while the other hand took his earphones off. Then he bent over, out of breath both from dancing and from being scared.

\- **I actually did.** – Felix promptly answered, sounding completely calm.

\- **What do you want?** – Hyunjin got back up in time to see him straighten up, like he just suddenly remembered why he was there to begin with.

\- **You’re going to the company dinner, right?** – and there were Hyunjin’s stress levels rising.

\- **Do I have a choice?** – he rolled his eyes.

\- **Not really** – Felix easily admitted, unbothered. – **My dad got you a suit.** – announced, handing him a garment bag and making sure Hyunjin took it before demanding: – **Wear it.**

\- **Why** – Hyunjin furrowed his eyebrows with suspicion, while reaching for the bottom of his shirt to wipe his own sweat.

\- **Cause my dad got it for you.** – the answer was immediate, voiced like it was completely obvious.

\- **But why did he?** – he asked again, since his first try wasn’t fully understood. Looking back at the younger, he couldn’t help but notice that Felix’s eyes went up almost at the same time his shirt went back down.

\- **Apparently some people already know about us being soulmates so he wants you to look decent**.

\- **I always look decent.**

\- **Debatable.** – Felix deadpanned. – **Anyway, you don’t say no to James Lee so just wear the damn suit.** – argued then, turning on his heels to walk out.

\- **Is it some kind of couple look?** – Hyunjin spoke up behind him, obviously displeased as he also walked to the door. – **Did he get us the same suit design?**

\- **He wouldn’t.** – he turned to him one more time, raising one eyebrow. – **That would make it too obvious that I wear it better.** – added; a teasing smile on his lips. – **I’m gonna shower first.**

Hyunjin just watched him walk to the bathroom, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the attitude; though things were apparently a little less complicated and aggressive between them, Felix still seemed to enjoy getting on his nerves.

He closed his door again, carefully placing the garment bag on his bed and opening it to check the suit first. It was a pretty one – which made total sense if it was James picking it, since he was always dressed as impeccably as any fashion designer should – but still quite simple. Made of black fabric, it looked softer and lighter than regular business suits and had a slim elegant design that would likely fit Hyunjin’s body type. The small gold details on its shoulders and wrists combined with the couple of golden buttons in the front gave it an almost royal look; it wouldn’t be hard to look good on it. Still, Hyunjin dedicated some of his time to select a couple of options to try on after he also took a shower.

At the end, he simply combined the suit with a white button-up shirt, his best shoes and a simple black tie just because he knew is mother would get on his nerves if he didn’t wear one. He added a thin belt to emphasize his silhouette and, in full honesty, he looked great. And yet, somehow, Felix managed to look _better_.

His suit was not very different; made of the same kind of soft fabric and with a similar design, only fully white instead of black and with no golden details on the wrists or shoulders. It was the way Felix was wearing it that made it almost completely different. Instead of a tie on top of a button-up shirt, Felix had no shirt at all, leaving part of his chest exposed behind the suit’s spread collar and adorning it with thick golden necklaces, and instead of an actual belt, he was wearing a gold and white chain belt to compliment both his silhouette and the suit itself. As much as Hyunjin would hate to admit it, Felix did look very, very pretty in his suit.

❀

\- **How are you so lucky?** – Yeji questioned, as if talking to herself, stopping next to Hyunjin just a couple moments after Felix left his side for basically the first time since they arrived at that boring party. Though he didn’t need to, Hyunjin turned his head to look at her; her eyes fixated on Felix as he talked to someone else.

\- **Am I?**

\- **You gotta be to get the prettiest boy as your soulmate.** – she got closer to give him a knowing look and a small grin. Yeji too was dressed for the occasion, with a black leather jacket on top of a long dress in the same yellow as the tulip buds on her left ear, long hair up in a ponytail.

\- **Excuse me?** – Jisung spoke up at Hyunjin’s left. – **Second prettiest, I’m here too.** – argued, while Yeji just raised an eyebrow at him. – **But he does look really hot today.**

\- **I heard it the first two times you said it to his face.** – Hyunjin grumbled, sipping at his champagne cocktail.

Dinner had been hell, even more than usual. His mother was so happy about Felix being his soulmate that she basically told the entire family and half of his father’s business partners, so the two of them were the center of all attentions during the first couple of hours. Felix didn’t seem to mind it half as much as Hyunjin did, so he took it as his job to be nice and smiley for everyone complimenting them on the _good news_ and the _happy coincidence_. That was until after dinner, when he noticed that holding Hyunjin’s hand and resting his chin on Hyunjin’s shoulder would both keep people at a certain distance – while still giving them the wrong ideas about their relationship – and get on Hyunjin’s nerves. Hyunjin told himself he didn’t push Felix away just because that would for sure get him in trouble with pretty much everyone else.

Still, at his first chance, he excused himself and got out. Knowing the company’s building as well as he did, he avoided the closest restroom and walked to the farthest one on that floor, taking advantage of it to at least pee in peace. It was there, while he washed his hands, that he looked at his soulmate mark in the mirror.

All ten peach buds were now fully open, prettily decorating almost his entire ear. People usually said that having a fully bloomed mark meant feelings were also blooming between soulmates but Hyunjin didn’t really know about that, it just sounded like a lot of other fake theories on soulmate marks. He knew his mark was fully bloomed just because he had been forced to live with Felix, he didn’t really have feelings for him. _Did he?_

Sighing, he left the restroom to find one of the big balconies. Away from the dinner’s after party and as high in the building as he was, he could only listen to the city’s night sounds like background music and he was decided to enjoy the quietude for as long as he could. Which was not long enough, of course.

\- **You really don’t like this kind of event, do you?** – a familiar deep voice asked while getting closer, calm.

\- **Is it that obvious?** – Hyunjin asked without looking at him, sarcasm in his voice.

\- **Actually it isn’t.** – Felix stopped by his side, cleaning the top of the railing with one hand before allowing his white suit to touch it. – **I mean, I’ve never seen you happy so I actually have no idea what that looks like.**

Hyunjin glanced his way, just to make sure. It really was some kind of confession, judging by his calm, almost sad, tone and the way he too chose to look at the night sky instead of at Hyunjin. He didn’t have an answer for that.

\- **How do you do it?** – asked instead, looking away again. – **How do you pretend everything is fine and you’re having a good time surrounded by people who only care about success and appearances?** – and furrowed his eyebrows, displeased just by thinking about it again. He heard Felix huff a bittersweet laugh, taking a moment before actually speaking again.

\- **You know I’m adopted, right?**

\- **What does that have to do with anything?**

\- **Maybe you won’t understand cause you’ve had to deal with this since you were born and there’s nothing happy for you in it, but for me it’s a reminder of how lucky I got.** – Felix explained calmly, with a small smile that was as bittersweet as his previous laugh. – **My biological parents didn’t care about me but I was lucky enough to meet my dads and they’ve given me so much** – he paused, looking back at Hyunjin for a moment. – **The least I can do is be the best son I can possibly be and take care of everything that is important to them, including this company.** – he looked away again, suppressing another laugh. – **Also, it’s kinda like Christmas at the orphanage, only everyone has a lot more money and there’s a lot more food and drinks.** – he jokingly added.

Once again, Hyunjin was at a loss for words. So he just said nothing and Felix allowed it, keeping the silence between them for a long moment; he too apparently enjoying the night sounds down in the streets.

It soon became too much for Hyunjin to handle, though, so he looked at the younger in search for an excuse to push him away somehow.

\- **Won’t you be cold out here?** – mumbled, noticing how Felix immediately smiled.

\- **I’ve been told I look really hot tonight.** – was the answer, followed by a teasing smile when Felix looked back at him.

Huffing in disbelief, Hyunjin rolled his eyes at him before looking away. That seemed to get a reaction out of Felix, making him gasp in fake shock and bend himself a little over the railing to continue looking at Hyunjin.

\- **Oh my god, I almost made you smile?**

\- **I’m trying to get rid of you, can you please read between the lines?** – Hyunjin protested, turning back to him.

\- **Won’t do.** – Felix got back into his previous position, apparently unbothered, continuing when Hyunjin sighed. – **They’ll find it weird if you’re the only one missing. But if we’re both missing, they’ll just assume we’re making out or something.** – argued calmly. – **No one will come looking for us or get too offended.**

\- **So you’d rather have them thinking we’re making out than just leave me alone?** – he raised one eyebrow at Felix, who just remained completely calm.

\- **Well, you’re not that ugly**. – nonchalantly answered, taking a unbelieving huffed laugh right out of Hyunjin. – **The dark kinda helps**.

\- **Maybe you’ve had too much to drink and it’s affecting your vision now.** – he replied, making a quarter turn to look at Felix but not expecting him to step closer, looking back as if analyzing his face.

\- **Not bad up close either.** – Felix observed, keeping his entire casual posture.

\- **Please.** – Hyunjin rolled his eyes at him again, stepping away. He felt kind of cold, anyway, so he started walking back inside.

\- **So you’re going back?** – the other boy followed but Hyunjin refused to look at him again.

\- **Guess you’re not hot enough to keep me warm.** – words left his mouth before he could think about them and, judging by his small laugh, Felix seemed to enjoy it.

\- **Haven’t tried, though.** – he casually argued, easily walking next to Hyunjin through the big hallways.

\- **You literally are so annoying I rather go back there than being alone with you, it’s astounding** – grumbled Hyunjin, as they got closer to the hallway taking to the room where everyone else was.

Felix answered with a scoff.

\- **Hold on!** – he suddenly said, before Hyunjin was able to make a turn into the other hallway; his somehow urgent tone making him stop like it was an automatic reaction.

Hyunjin was halfway into turning to him when he felt a hand on his tie, pulling him down and making him stumble on his own feet before pushing him against the closest wall. Surprise hit him at the same time as the other boy’s body did but he had no time to react at all because Felix simply pulled him down by his tie again and kissed him. Intense and hungry, with teeth scraping at his bottom lip like he meant to hurt him or just eat him alive. It wasn’t even that long of a kiss and yet, when Felix stepped away, Hyunjin felt breathless.

\- **What are you doing** – he mumbled, sounding as lost as he felt.

\- **Giving the people what they want. Kinda.** – Felix remained calm, taking a look at Hyunjin before reaching for his tie again, undoing it a little and going for Hyunjin’s hair next, taking it completely out of place and smiling proudly. – **You look pretty like this.** – added, only then walking away and back into the party.

Hyunjin didn’t really feel cold anymore.

❀

It was just a kiss. Not even a good one, really; Hyunjin had been kissed way, way better before.

So why couldn’t he stop thinking about it?

No matter how hard he tried, his thoughts would just come back to it again and again. Why? Why did Felix kiss him? Was it just to mess him up? To get on his nerves? To have Hyunjin still looking a bit like a mess when he got back to the party? Just to make it really look like they had left for a couple minutes to make out?

And to top it all, nothing really changed between the two of them. Not that he wanted things to just suddenly change or something. But Felix acting completely like he hadn’t pushed him against a wall and kissed him out of nowhere was driving Hyunjin a tiny bit insane. And maybe slightly frustrated, both about Felix and his own feelings – whatever those were, he couldn’t even decide. So Hyunjin did what he usually does.

\- **Hyung** – he was pouting as soon as the door opened.

\- **Get in** – Minho just answered along with a small laugh, stepping away to let him into his apartment. – **What’s up?**

\- **Can you, like, pin me against the wall and kiss me?** – Hyunjin mumbled right to the point while taking his shoes off.

He saw the older raise an eyebrow at him but he still moved right away, promptly giving Hyunjin exactly what he asked; one hand splashing against his abdomen and pushing him to the wall followed by warm lips on his, kissing him long and soft yet still intense. So much as he liked it that, when Minho stepped away, Hyunjin almost followed for more, slightly lost.

\- **You’re so much better at this.**

\- **What are you going on about?** – he gave Hyunjin a suspicious look but there was still a smile on his lips.

\- **I’m confused and frustrated.** – easily admitted, to which Minho nodded, understanding. It was only when they started walking to the kitchen that Hyunjin looked down Minho’s body and was able to notice the various marks on his neck. – **You look like you had a lot more fun than I did.** – commented, pouting at it.

Minho stopped and turned to him, laughing a bit. – **Oh, I met my soulmate!**

\- **You– what? When?**

\- **Last night** – he turned his head to show his left ear; two out of three sunflowers had bloomed since the last time they had been together. – **Though I only noticed it this morning when I saw his second sunflower opening.**

\- **I don’t know why I’m surprised you figured it out so fast.** – Hyunjin mumbled, almost being interrupted by other voice coming from inside the kitchen.

\- **I’m gonna eat your food!**

\- **Don’t you dare!** – Minho immediately turned to shout into the kitchen, bending to look inside in protest but soon turning back to Hyunjin. – **I’m gonna eat before he steals my food.**

\- **Maybe I should go** – Hyunjin tried, suddenly feeling insecure about being there at all now that his friend had found his soulmate, but Minho just gave him an offended look bellow furrowed brows. – **Your soulmate**

\- **I don’t think he’s the jealous type.** – he argued, with a smile back on his lips. – **And you should meet anyway!** – added, now grabbing Hyunjin’s hand to pull him into the kitchen too. – **This is–**

Hyunjin didn’t actually hear the words. As soon as his eyes met the boy eating at Minho’s table, recognition left him speechless to the point he just stopped as a whole. His feet refused to walk one more single step, his hand fell out of Minho’s for being unable to follow him and his entire brain froze, leaving him incapable of moving or speaking or even _thinking_.

\- **Nice to see you again, pretty boy** – Jeongin jokingly greeted, confirming that Hyunjin was not out of his mind and somehow that moment was actually happening.

\- **Wait** – Minho looked between one and the other, confused. – **You already know each other?**

\- **He’s my friend’s soulmate.** – answered the other boy, going back to eating the food in front of him and actually stealing some from the other bowl.

\- **That’s– Stop stealing my food, I’m gonna beat your ass.** – Minho interrupted himself when he noticed Jeongin’s actions, but continued right away. – **That’s actually nice! We can all** – and Hyunjin made him stop by raising one hand.

\- **If you so much as _think_ about suggesting a foursome, I’ll punch you in the face. **– threatened, regretting it when Minho looked genuinely confused and Jeongin choked on his stolen food.

\- **I was gonna suggest double dates, but we can also do that if you’re that needy.** – a grin appeared on Minho’s face and he sat down at the table to eat, only then turning his attention to his own soulmate. While Hyunjin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, Jeongin was only able to stop laughing when Minho spoke to him again. – **So I guess you’re very close with that friend of yours.**

\- **One could say so.**

\- **Hold on again** – Minho suddenly changed his tone, looking at Hyunjin again. – **Is your soulmate the bad kisser?** – furrowed his eyebrows again, connecting previous information to newly found one and continuing when Hyunjin simply opened his mouth but was unable to say anything at all. – **You asked me to pin you against the wall and kiss you and then said I was a lot better, is he the one you were comparing me to?** – a smile took over his face, clearly satisfied at the idea.

\- **Felix is a great kisser though** – Jeongin nonchalantly informed, pausing just to chew on his food. – **Among everything else he’s good at.** – suggestively added, raising one eyebrow at Minho who suddenly looked offended.

\- **Are you by any chance saying he’s better than me?** – his protest turned into a whole drama as soon as Jeongin grinned at him, pleased with the outcome. – **Me?! Your soulmate?! After all we had?!**

\- **Well, from my experience…** – Jeongin continued teasing, getting back an overly offended expression.

\- **Fuck you very much.**

\- **There you have one thing he’s better than you at!** – Jeongin answered immediately, laughing as soon as Minho’s chin fell in disbelief. – **It’s alright, babe, you’ll learn** – he pat Minho’s shoulder, blinking innocently at him while watching him get serious, like he was about to stand up and prove him wrong right there.

\- **Okay, I’m really gonna go.** – Hyunjin mumbled, not really waiting for an answer before walking out. Or trying to, at least.

\- **Did you take your head out of your ass yet?** – Jeongin’s voice made him stop after only two steps.

\- **Excuse me, what?** – when he looked back at the other boy again, his expression was calm but completely serious.

\- **He told me about you disliking him for no good reason**. – his eyes traveled down Hyunjin’s entire body, like he was sizing him up.

\- **That’s none of your business.** – Hyunjin answered back in a similar tone, he too getting serious.

\- **It’s my business if my friend gets hurt.** – he raised an eyebrow at him. – **And I don’t wanna hurt your pretty face so don’t make me.** – calmly added, holding Hyunjin’s gaze for a moment.

\- **If you like him so much why don’t you keep him?!** – mumbled, again not waiting for a reply.

\- **Cause he’s not mine to keep.** – Jeongin’s voice spat back as Hyunjin left, twice as mad and frustrated as he was when he got there.

❀

Hyunjin was not that self-centered, really. It was just that, sometimes, the entire universe seemed to be against him.

He was already on edge thanks to Felix; the one friend who was always able to help him turned out to be soulmates with Jeongin out of all people and then, to top it all, his parents decided to have a family dinner. A family dinner to which Felix and his parents were also invited cause they were _officially part of the family now_.

If Hyunjin heard one more comment about how great it was that he and Felix were soulmates or about how they should get married soon, he was going to snap right there.

\- **Jinnie, maybe we should get going** – Felix suggested out of nowhere, when he stopped laughing at the embarrassing childhood photos Hyunjin’s mother insisted on showing him, and both the nickname and sweet voice were so sudden that it took Hyunjin a moment to realize he was talking to him at all.

\- **Why would you go already?** – Yeji spoke up immediately, certainly aware that if they left she would be the one having to deal with all the soulmate talk that was so active during that dinner specifically.

\- **Two friends of ours turned out to be soulmates so we’re all going out to celebrate.** – Felix explained, though Hyunjin had no idea what the whole going out part was about. – **It’s almost eleven, we shouldn’t have them waiting for us.** – he looked back at Hyunjin, waiting for an answer.

\- **Right, we should go.** – he just mumbled, noticing a suspicious look from his cousin but giving it no attention.

\- **Dinner was great, thank you so much for having us.** – Felix kept his sweet, nice tone, getting up from the couch and bowing to Hyunjin’s mother before doing the same for everyone else.

Hyunjin followed, also bowing to everyone and sticking his tongue out at Yeji before walking away. All the other men in the family were still at the dinner table, obviously talking about business and drinking what was left of the wine, and Felix carefully interrupted them to both announce they were leaving first and thank also Hyunjin’s father for inviting him, bowing and bidding everyone goodbye; Hyunjin too doing the same.

\- **Do you wanna take the car?** – James asked, looking from Felix to Hyunjin and moving like he was ready to really get the keys to his car and just give them to his son, stopping only after seeing him shake his head.

\- **No need, dad, we’ll just take a cab.** – he replied with a smile, giving the man a kiss on the cheek.

\- **Don’t drink too much.** – was James answer back, only then looking back at Hyunjin and accepting his bow with a sweet smile.

Though he had no actual idea about what Felix was planning with all that, Hyunjin still followed him out of his parents’ house, focusing only on getting out of that damn dinner already because Felix’s parents had given them a ride there but they were apparently not interested in leaving anytime soon. He noticed Felix asking for a cab through the app on his phone.

\- **I guess you don’t like this kind of events that much either.** – said, simply to end the uncomfortable silence between them.

\- **You’re wrong.** – Felix laughed a little, looking both ways into the street as if he could already locate the taxi. – **I actually liked it. But I assumed you wouldn’t take it if your mom opened another photo album and I really wanna go out.** – and Hyunjin sighed at first, only absorbing the last part after a moment.

\- **Wait, we’re actually going out?** – he looked at Felix again, seeing him nod. – **Together?**

\- **Obviously**. – he answered, unimpressed.

Hyunjin stared at him. – **Why?**

\- **Cause I want to.** – Felix rolled his eyes and sighed. – **Do you really have to ask so many questions?** – continued, still, moving as soon as a car stopped right in front of them. – **Wanna go back?** – he pointed at the big house behind them as he looked back at Hyunjin, opening the car’s back door with the other hand. And Hyunjin simply sighed, getting in the car and allowing Felix to sit by his side and tell the driver where to go.

Their destination turned out to be not very far from their apartment, to the point Hyunjin could easily walk home after getting out of the cab with Felix, but maybe he also needed to go out a bit so he allowed Felix to grab his wrist and guide him inside the club anyway. Felix was probably a regular there already, judging by how the security guard at the entrance easily allowed them in and by how it took him just a moment to get drinks from the bartender, but he didn’t drag Hyunjin around for much longer; both of them stopping when Felix seemed to recognize someone.

Some blond boy greeted Felix with a hug and a pretty smile, immediately invading his personal space to be able to talk to him. Felix smiled back as prettily. And though Hyunjin had seen him smile before, right there he just looked so genuinely happy that it made his smile that much prettier. Almost too pretty, which made Hyunjin hold on to his drink and look around for some kind of distraction.

Said distraction came in the form of an almost ridiculously good looking boy dancing just a few steps away from them; his also blond hair easily getting Hyunjin’s attention in the crowd. When the boy’s intense eyes met Hyunjin’s and a smile formed on his lips, Hyunjin knew he had also gotten his attention back, so it took him only an inviting gesture to get closer. They didn’t even try to talk, just kind of exchanging looks and starting to dance together, and Hyunjin allowed himself to have some fun for the first time in weeks, dancing and drinking and not thinking.

Maybe a little too much of the second because at some point he just found himself dancing with no one other than Felix; his body moving in a way that perhaps shouldn’t even be called dancing while his soulmate tried to talk to him. And he had no idea what Felix was trying to tell him, but the fact that he ended up laughing instead was probably what made Hyunjin laugh back, just a moment before he grabbed his waist and pulled him into a drunken kiss right then and there.

❀

First he felt warmth. A nice and cozy feeling embracing him, starting from his torso and going down his legs in a way that was just too comfortable for him to even consider getting away. So he didn’t, instead snuggling a bit closer and sleepily breathing in. That’s when he felt the smell – not a completely bad one, just out of place. Something was not right.

He moved a little, trying to stretch out of his sleeping mode and soon getting enough information to actually understand the situation he was in. The warmth was focused mostly on his left side, where he noticed a comfortable weight pressing against him, and the smell was a mix of cologne and sweat and tobacco. That, combined with the feeling of hair caressing his jawline and someone calmly breathing against his neck, made him soon realize someone was sleeping next to him. The problem was that he had no idea who; the last thing he could actually remember was kissing that gorgeous blond boy he met at the bar, whatever his name was.

He stretched his feet and the one arm that wasn’t stuck between their two bodies, trying to wake himself up without actually disturbing whoever was sleeping next to him, and only then opened his eyes, running fingers through his face and hair before actually being able to see anything. He found bond hair just like he expected to but not unknown boy’s blond hair. As he recognized the shirt Felix was wearing the night before, he realized it was _his_ blond hair.

\- **What the fuck** – mumbled, suddenly a lot more awake.

When he tried to move away, though, Felix pressed a little more against him, with a leg going up between Hyunjin’s and an arm also moving below his shirt; hand coming up to his nipple to make him tremble and catch his breath. And that was when the body against his trembled as well, only in a completely different way, as an almost silent laugh met Hyunjin’s neck.

\- **You’re awake and taking advantage of me!** – he almost screeched in protest, sitting up and getting as far as possible without falling off the bed. He saw Felix laugh again, nuzzling against his pillow. – **Why are you in my bed?** – almost screeched again, his voice unstable both from shock and from being used so suddenly.

\- **You’re hilariously cute when you’re drunk**. – Felix answered while half rolling around in bed. His voice sounded even deeper than it usually did, it was kind of hot; Hyunjin shook the thought out of his head. – **Wouldn’t let me go, I was forced to sleep here.**

\- **You’re lying!** – indignation made his own voice even more unstable so he cleared his throat. – **You took advantage of me.** – argued, trying a serious posture while Felix just laughed to his face.

\- **Did you drink so much you can’t remember your actions?** – he raised his eyebrows at Hyunjin, apparently pleased.

\- **I have low alcohol tolerance.** – Hyunjin mumble-argued, looking away with furrowed eyebrows.

\- **_No, Lilix, don’t go_** – he started, voice purposely higher and full of cuteness as to mimic Hyunjin’s drunken antics. – **_I’m soulmate! You should be with me not–_**

\- **Alright, stop it!** – interrupted with a painful moan, burying his face in his hands.

\- **And you were either pouting or kissing me.** – Felix went on anyway, clearly having fun by exposing Hyunjin to himself. – **Sometimes both!**

\- **I am never going out with you again.** – he moaned against his own hands. – **Ever**.

\- **That makes me sad.** – the other boy argued, though it sounded nothing like he was sad. – **I liked seeing you having some fun for once**. – continued.

Hyunjin just sighed into his hands and pouted to himself, trying not to let that thought get under his skin. He most likely failed.

❀

\- **So I heard you slept with Felix** – and Hyunjin choked on the sushi piece he was chewing, almost spiting part of the rice back into the rectangular ceramic plate; Jisung immediately frowning with indignation and pulling the plate closer to him. – **Control yourself.** – protested, voice still low.

\- **That’s a lie!** – Hyunjin argued, still coughing to try to recover from choking.

\- **I’m surprised you can suck dick with such a terrible gag reflex.** – Jisung carelessly continued, just rising his eyebrows when Hyunjin gave him a serious look. – **But what do you mean it’s a lie?** – continued nevertheless.

\- **Why would I sleep with him to begin with?** – he asked before taking a sip of water from his glass.

\- **Didn’t you go out last saturday?** – his eyes looked down to the various pieces of sushi, picking one and grabbing it.

\- **Kinda** – reluctantly admitted, giving his friend a suspicious look.

\- **And turned out he slept on your bed?** – Jisung continued while Hyunjin just rolled eyes at him and nodded. – **Where you also slept, right?** – asked before stuffing his mouth with half a temaki. Hyunjin sighed. – **So you slept with him**. – concluded.

\- **Stop pretending it doesn’t mean something else when it’s said like you said it first.** – grumbled, disgusted both at the idea of sleeping with Felix and the fact that Jisung kept talking about it with his mouth full of food.

\- **Stop pretending I wouldn’t straight up say he fucked you if I meant sex.** – argued back immediately. Hyunjin noticed the people at the next table giving them a look and he too gave his friend one, but he just completely misunderstood and added – **Don’t give me that look, we all concluded you’ll most likely bottom.**

\- **You wh– Who’s _we_?** – he stumbled on his own words and indignation.

\- **Me, Yeji, Jeongin and Minho.** – Jisung nonchalantly answered, continuing when Hyunjin just stared at him, being barely able to blink. – **We have a group chat!** – and then he took his phone out, unblocking the screen and opening a conversation app before showing it to Hyunjin. – **Oh, Ryujin is in it too, Yeji added her recently**.

Speechless, Hyunjin took a look at the phone’s screen, just to confirm if Jisung was serious at all; he found an actual group chat entitled _HyunLix Supporters_ , with a cherry blossom emoji as decoration. He looked back at Jisung, unable to react at all, and the younger simply put the phone down again, eating the remaining of his temaki.

\- **You have... a group chat... about me and Felix?** – slowly asked, pure disbelief in his voice.

\- **Well, first it was really just me and Jeongin trying to understand that whole thing about his soulmate being your sex friend while your soulmate was his sex friend but then we kinda evolved and** –

\- **Do you think my life is some kind of fanfic?** – Hyunjin interrupted between gritted teeth.

\- **It could be.** – Jisung had the audacity to look surprised, like he was considering that perspective for the first time. – **Like, a really long one... what’re those calle– Slow burn! Enemies to lovers!** – added, gesturing enthusiastically. Hyunjin considered throwing soy sauce at him.

\- **We are not lovers.** – grumbled instead, only for Jisung to arch both his eyebrows in fake indignation.

\- **Cause you’re so stubborn you refuse to just give it to him already!** – argued, continuing while Hyunjin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. – **And just so you know, I heard he fucks as good as he looks.**

\- **I’m gonna ask the chef to make sashimi out of you.** – threatened upon looking at him again.

\- **Is that your way of saying you wanna eat me?**

Hyunjin had to take one other deep breath. – **Why are we even friends?**

\- **Cause you love me, obviously.** – Jisung easily answered, picking other sushi piece.

❀

Felix was still home. Hyunjin knew it as soon as he stepped out of the elevator because to their door was a delivery man with a bag from one of Felix’s favorite restaurants – a man who recognized Hyunjin from previous times and easily gave him the order he was to deliver, explaining that Felix was not answering the door. It also didn’t take long for Hyunjin to find out why Felix was not answering the door even though he was certainly there, since he wouldn’t even order food otherwise.

As soon as he stepped inside their apartment, Felix got out of the bathroom; hair still wet, pajama pants on and a small towel hanging on one of his naked shoulders. Hyunjin’s presence seemed to surprise him a bit but Felix recovered from it fairly fast, drawing a teasing smile while walking towards him.

\- **I only ordered a meal and got a whole pretty boy with it** – teased he. And Hyunjin got a little distracted by the water dripping down his chest but soon looked back up.

\- **Shut up** – mumbled, biting down the words’ impact on him and pushing the delivery bag to Felix’s naked chest.

\- **Did I push a button in there somewhere?** – Felix looked pleased, forcing Hyunjin to ignore him.

\- **Why are you even ordering food at this hour? It’s almost midnight.** – mumbled while walking to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Felix followed, huffing a laugh while, in Hyunjin’s head, a voice that sounded weirdly like Jisung teased him about being suddenly thirsty.

\- **I was craving sushi but have no time to go out, still have some study to do.** – Felix said, sitting down at their table and putting the bag down in front of himself, immediately starting unpacking the food.

Hyunjin almost spilled water on the counter, stopping right away. – **That’s... weird.** – mumbled, thinking.

\- **What is?**

\- **That you were craving sushi while I was out for sushi exactly.** – he kept his voice low, turning to face Felix but soon regretting it, deciding to focus on his glass half full of water instead of on _someone’s_ naked chest and shoulders. Did Felix work out?

\- **Well, we’re soulmates.** – he remained unbothered, opening both of his two boxes full of sushi pieces. – **I’ve read somewhere about soulmates who can kinda feel the same stuff.**

Hyunjin answered with a mumble while drinking his water. – **Are you gonna eat all that?** – asked then, inevitably curious.

\- **Want some?** – Felix looked up at him, as casual as he could possibly be. When Hyunjin simply shook his head, Felix started eating anyway. – **Have you been sexually frustrated too?** – asked then, apparently out of nowhere, as Hyunjin was about to leave the kitchen.

\- **What** –

\- **We kinda lost our friends with benefits at the same time.** – almost interrupted, one second after Hyunjin interrupted himself with his own speechlessness.

\- **Is that your way of telling me you wanna have sex?** – he raised both his eyebrows at Felix, who unbelievably just kept calmly chewing.

\- **I’m not against it now that I found out you’re not as much of an ass as I initially thought.** – admitted, to Hyunjin’s complete surprise. He didn’t know if he should feel content about the idea or insulted by the way it was put.

\- **Well I’m fully against it!** – he went for the later, again walking towards the exit.

\- **Sure**. – Felix’s sarcastic answer was immediate. – **I’m gonna pretend I didn’t notice you drooling over me just two minutes ago.**

\- **Wow, you really are full of it!** – Hyunjin marveled in fake surprise, just before leaving the room.

\- **You look so cute when you’re frustrated, it’s adorable.** – he still heard Felix’s voice behind him.

\- **Oh, fuck you!** – grumbled back in protest, stomping to his bedroom.

\- **Fuck me yourself, babe!** – Felix almost shouted from the kitchen; voice full of amusement. Amidst his shock, Hyunjin closed his door with so much strength he almost made it fall out of its place.

❀

Perspective sure is a funny thing cause, as it turns out, there was something worse than business dinners.

Officially owning 10% of the company made both Hyunjin and Felix official shareholders and, even though they were not expected to make real decisions – for their respective fathers had kept that power to themselves – they still needed to be part of important meetings. And _that_ was hell.

He had been on some of the company’s meetings before, but only on small ones that were held basically every week, where directors made simple decisions and reviewed all the work done in the previous days. Being a shareholder meant taking part in big, decisive meetings. With not only all corporate managers but also with all the board directors and other shareholders, each and every single one of them with his own personal assistant. The air inside the big conference room felt so heavy and serious it made business dinners look like _fun_.

Hyunjin was not even listening anymore, he gave up sometime after the first twenty minutes. He suspected the PR manager was going on about some supposedly needed changes regarding employees but his attention was so out of it he started looking at everyone’s soulmate mark – something he wouldn’t even normally do. Mr. Lee had five pink daisies, exactly like his husband James, and Park Yeeun, his assistant, had three baby pink peonies, all in full blossom. On Treasurer Lee Sunmi he saw a couple of carnations, as vibrantly red as her lipstick, every time she turned her head to exchange some impressions with her assistant, the very attractive Park Jinyoung, who Hyunjin already knew had seven green orchid buds – now only two, for five of them had bloomed since he’d last seen him. Right in front of him, his best friend’s father had four white roses on his mark.

A hand landed on Hyunjin’s thigh, jerking him awake from his analysis almost in a physical way.

He looked down first, finding said hand just lying against his tight black jeans, with fingers curving like they were trying to circle it. Then it moved, slowly, squeezing lightly at his flesh and becoming heavier before traveling just a couple centimeters towards his crotch. That was when he breathed in, looking up again and discreetly turning to Felix just to find him already looking back.

\- **What are you doing?** – whispered, slightly bending in his direction and seeing him smile.

\- **Keeping you awake.** – answered in the same way, but teased Hyunjin further, moving his hand even closer to his crotch and between his thighs. He couldn’t just slap it away or something without getting everyone’s attention, so he chose to hold it with his own hands instead.

\- **I’d rather you didn’t.** – told him. And to be fair, Felix did stop squeezing at his thigh, but only to turn the palm of his hand up and hold Hyunjin’s, locking their fingers together and turning his attention back to it.

\- **You really are adorable**. – commented a moment later, clearly pleased as Hyunjin looked up at him again. – **Are you blushing cause I’m holding your hand or cause I almost gave you a hard on during the most boring meeting ever?** – whisper-asked then, he too bending slightly towards Hyunjin. As to illustrate his idea, Felix tried releasing his hand from Hyunjin’s, threatening to take it back to its previous position, but then it was Hyunjin who held it against his own, keeping it there.

\- **Shut up.** – mumbled, looking away while Felix just repressed a smile.

And they ended up staying like that for the rest of the meeting; Hyunjin holding Felix’s hand to stop it from going back to his thigh and Felix taking advantage of it to keep him away from getting distracted, caressing him lightly with the tips of his fingers and presenting him with small pleased smiles every single time their eyes met. Even when their attention was required, Felix didn’t bother nor allow Hyunjin to separate their hands, using only his left hand for everything he needed one for and forcing Hyunjin to use just his right one.

It was only at the end, when Hyunjin’s father officially closed the meeting and everyone who was not a corporate officer left the conference room, that Felix let go of Hyunjin’s hand; both standing up to bow as the other shareholders left. Technically, the two of them would be allowed to leave as well, as they didn’t have an official position at the company yet. Thanks to their fathers, though, they were expected to stay, which led to Felix grabbing Hyunjin’s hand again, taking advantage of everyone’s post-meeting distractions.

\- **What now?** – Hyunjin mumbled as Felix calmly pulled him to the farthest corner of the room, stopping near one of the big windows.

\- **I’m avoiding the business talk for both of us** – whispered back, looking out and down the building; his hand still not letting go of Hyunjin’s.

Hyunjin glanced back at everyone else for a moment, most of them still focused on work. – **Thought you liked it.**

\- **Thought you didn’t.** – Felix answered immediately, getting his attention back just in time to make a show of getting closer and kissing his cheek before whispering in his ear – **You’re welcome.**

\- **I saw you two paying more attention to each other than the meeting.** – a calm familiar voice said and Hyunjin turned again to see both Mr. Lee and Mr. Han approaching them; knowing smiles on both their faces as they took in Felix’s position against Hyunjin.

\- **Guilty as charged!** – Felix jokingly answered his father, keeping his position nonetheless. – **But can you blame us?** – continued, clearly suggestive; Mr. Lee simply huffed a laugh.

\- **Jisung told me things are going well between you two.** – Mr. Han commented then. Hyunjin made a mental note to punch his best friend in the face later. – **Guess we’ll be having a wedding soon?**

\- **Not that soon** – Hyunjin answered first, faking a smile while Felix had the audacity to laugh.

\- **We wanna finish college first.** – added Felix, like they had _ever_ talked about that, promptly getting a couple of satisfied expressions from both men in front of them.

\- **Oh, I see.** – Mr. Han’s pleased expression turned to the man next to him. – **Education first.** – and Mr. Lee nodded in agreement, accepting the silent praise on the morals passed onto Felix.

\- **That and** – Felix spoke up again, purposely pausing to make it suggestive. – **How could we possibly prepare everything and go on honeymoon if we’re still in college?** – and Hyunjin gave him a serious look, squishing his hand as a warning to make him stop with that nonsense conversation altogether. Felix reacted with just a teasing smile.

\- **It’s not like you need a whole year of honeymoon either.** – Mr. Lee argued, crossing his arms at his chest; his son laughed again.

\- **That would be nice, wouldn’t it?** – teased further, looking back at Hyunjin before continuing. – **Think we deserve at least a month though, we’ve been good boys.** – he bat his eyelashes in fake innocence, but his father still looked offended.

\- **Kids these days, can you believe this?!** – he turned to Mr. Han, whose big smile looked weirdly like an older version of Jisung’s.

\- **He’s right, though!**

\- **You won’t even want us here before that, we’ll be too disgusting to handle. Specially together.** – Felix added, clearly pleased by Mr. Han’s support.

\- **Young love!**

\- **You just wait until you son finds his soulmate and then we’ll talk.** – Mr. Lee grumbled right away.

\- **Wish he had already.** – the other man sighed, as if suddenly tired.

\- **Jisung has cyclamen, right?** – Felix asked, his tone a lot more polite than before. Hyunjin had no idea he gave soulmate marks that much attention. – **I heard those are really special, one can only see their color when they’re close to blossom.**

\- **I’ve heard that too** – Mr. Han agreed, nodding slightly. – **But his are still too closed, even so long after having the complete mark.**

\- **Maybe it’s just not the right time yet.** – Hyunjin argued lightly, though he was unsure if Jisung deserved him standing up for him at that very moment.

\- **Well, if it’s a good one it might be worth the wait.** – the man answered, smiling again.

\- **Considering it’s Jisung’s, it most certainly is a great one.** – Felix was the one answering then, getting the man’s attention back.

\- **Better than yours, even?**

\- **Now you’re pushing it, Mr. Han!** – the younger fake warned, giving the man a look before laughing with him. And Hyunjin just stared at him, now unsure about what he was even feeling.

❀

\- **Would you really go that far just to make them happy?** – Hyunjin asked, just a few seconds after they entered the elevator. He’d been wanting to ask since the whole talk with Mr. Han at the company but they were surrounded by people there, ended up going out for dinner with the company’s board of directors after the meeting and then had a driver take them back to their apartment. It was the first time they were truly alone since.

\- **What are you talking about?** – Felix asked back, still going through his phone.

\- **You talked about us getting married like you’re actually considering it.** – he kept his voice low, leaning against the elevator wall. That got Felix’s attention.

\- **I am**. – confessed, simple and apparently sure of it. Hyunjin’s expression probably showed just how genuinely surprised he felt cause Felix continued right away. – **Not yet.** – added, smiling a little. – **I don’t really feel like proposing when we still got so much to figure out. But I will, eventually.** – he turned his attention back to his phone. – **You’re my soulmate.**

The elevator stopped at their floor before Hyunjin could find a way to react to that. As usual, Felix stepped out first, walking calmly towards their shared apartment, so Hyunjin followed.

\- **I guess it’s really that simple for you then.** – mumbled right before they crossed their door. – **Are you considering it just cause they expect you to? Cause it’s what everyone expects us to?** – furrowed his eyebrows, taking off his shoes.

\- **Can’t it be cause I want to?** – Felix argued, stepping towards Hyunjin while the later frowned _deeper_. – **I don’t know if you can really see things from my perspective but** – he hesitated, looking away for a moment but soon looking back into Hyunjin’s eyes. – **One could say you’re the reason I’m here. I own it all to you too.** – added, walking away the next moment. Again, it took Hyunjin a moment to actually react, following him into the kitchen.

\- **That doesn’t even make sense.**

Felix sighed. – **You were eight when my dads decided to adopt.** – he started, turning to Hyunjin again and leaning on the counter. – **They went to Australia cause it’s where they met and they adopted _me_ , out of fifty kids at that orphanage, cause I was the closest to your age. **– ended with a smile, but it was a bitter one. A smile Hyunjin had never really seen on him, perhaps because it came from deeper than anything he was used to get from Felix.

\- **I’m sure there’s a lot more to it.** – argued back, watching a small huffed laugh take over Felix.

\- **Maybe**. – shrugged. – **But I was five when I was taken to the orphanage and, though I don’t really remember much from before that, I still remember it didn’t take me long to realize no one wanted to adopt a five-year-old boy born from Korean drug addicts.** – he paused; eyes out of focus directed to the space between them. – **My dads adore you so much they took the chance with me just so we could be friends and grow together. And we turn out to be soulmates.** – huffed one more laugh. – **Maybe I’m overthinking it but we might as well be destined or some shit. Doesn’t it make you think?** – challenged, looking back up at Hyunjin. – **If just one of these things had failed, maybe we would never even meet. I’d probably just stay at the orphanage till they kicked me out and then become a drug addict like my biological parents.**

Silence.

Felix looked and sounded calm and yet, it was like Hyunjin could hear every bit of pain in his voice, in a way he never thought he would. Not from Felix, anyway. He noticed himself getting teary-eyed while being at a loss for words.

\- **You don’t know that.** – mumbled weakly, knowing not what to say. Felix just shrugged again.

\- **I’m gonna take a shower and get some sleep.** – mumbled back, only then moving out of his position and walking away.

If he were to be honest, Hyunjin wanted to stop him right there. Because he could feel that Felix was in pain. _His soulmate_ was in pain. So he kind of wanted to hold him, hug him, tell him something to make him feel better. And yet, he didn’t know if he should. If he _could_. So he just didn’t, letting him go and blinking away his own tears.

❀

Insomnia came as no surprise. Hyunjin was actually able to fall asleep when he first landed on his bed, so tired he felt like he could sleep for days, but his own thoughts woke him up and made it impossible for him to fall back asleep then. He checked the time on his phone, confirming he had only slept for a couple of hours, so he kept himself in the dark, waiting. Turned to his left, to his right and even on his stomach. Got up, went to the bathroom and then to the living room. Tried turning the TV on and sleeping on the couch. It was all useless; he just couldn’t fall back asleep cause he just couldn’t stop thinking – about his conversation with Felix earlier, about everything he’d learned about him and from him since they started living together.

\- **Having trouble sleeping?** – Felix’s voice, low and raspy, made Hyunjin startle so violently on his way to the kitchen that he had to hold on to the closest wall for support.

\- **Fucking hell** – he whispered under his breath.

\- **Sorry**. – added immediately, though Hyunjin could see him biting back a smile.

\- **Now I really won’t be able to sleep** – protested lightly, continuing his way into the kitchen; one hand splashed against his own chest.

\- **I didn’t mean to startle you** – Felix followed him, calm. – **Just wondered why you were pacing around the apartment in the middle of the night.**

Hyunjin stopped in front of their fridge, opening it and peaking inside. But he wasn’t hungry, so he just sighed and closed the fridge again, leaning back against the counter and silently looking at Felix as he poured some water inside the electric kettle and turned it on.

That wasn’t _just wondering why Hyunjin was pacing around_. Was Felix worried? And enough to check up on him? He was having some trouble processing that thought along with the idea that, when they first moved in, Felix would probably never do such a thing, not even if Hyunjin were dying.

\- **Want some tea?** – Felix asked, looking up at him again, and Hyunjin stared for a moment before nodding. – **Vanilla white?** – he reached for the top cabinets, taking a box of what Hyunjin had noticed to be his favorite tea.

He just mumbled in agreement, staying silent after, and Felix didn’t speak again either. Hyunjin didn’t want to overthink things any more than he already was, so he convinced himself that the current moment wasn’t uncomfortable purely because it wasn’t really silent; there was still the sound of the water boiling inside the kettle, along with all the other sounds of Felix preparing two cups of his vanilla flavored white tea.

\- **You’re overthinking it, aren’t you?** – Felix spoke again only after preparing the tea, carefully sliding one of the cups closer to Hyunjin. – **Our conversation earlier.** – added when Hyunjin didn’t answer, getting a sigh out of him.

\- **Yes**. – admitted, picking his cup up and blowing slowly at the hot tea. – **I’m sorry.**

\- **For overthinking?** – he asked after a thought.

\- **No**.

\- **I didn’t tell you those things for you to feel sorry for me.** – his answer was immediate that time around.

Hyunjin sighed. – **It’s not that either.** – argued, still keeping his voice down. – **I’m sorry about my attitude.** – he took a sip at his tea, as if it could give him some more time to say what he needed to. – **I never considered where you came from or how hard it was for you. I just** – hesitated, sighing again and looking down at the floor. – **I can’t even remember when we first met, just that you appeared out of nowhere being better than me at basically everything and it just made me despise you so much.**

\- **We were nine, it’s not like I’m gonna hold it against you** – Felix replied in a similar tone, only with a small laugh added to it, but Hyunjin just drank some more, not having the guts to look back at him.

\- **That’s no excuse when I did it for years.** – argued, getting mad at himself. – **You were just trying to be a good son and I couldn’t stand you for it cause my parents would always talk non-stop about how good and smart you were. You were everything they wanted me to be but I could never achieve it even if I tried. And then you started getting really pretty and I couldn’t even win at that anymore! The one thing I was better than you at.** – he grumbled, furrowing his eyebrows at his half-empty cup.

Before answering, he heard Felix drink some of his tea and put the cup down, getting closer and stopping in front of Hyunjin, making him look up in confusion. Curious eyes met his for a moment and only then Felix spoke.

\- **You really need to get some sleep, you’re only looking down on yourself and talking bullshit.** – declared, taking the cup out of Hyunjin’s hands and putting it down next to his.

\- **What are you doing?** – Hyunjin mumbled as soon as the younger got closer, getting no actual reply.

\- **Close your eyes.** – the order was calm, almost whispered, and yet Hyunjin followed it right away.

He felt Felix get even closer, with body almost pressing against his from head to toe, but when he was about to open his eyes again he was stopped by hands on his face. Lightly, careful fingertips ran through his skin in a calming way, dragging themselves along the contours of his nose and eyebrows and pressing on his temples. When the thumbs got to his temples, the remaining fingers ran slowly through his hair, caressing his scalp from the top of his head to the back of his neck.

\- **You need to relax and let go of those things.** – Felix whispered and it was only at that moment that Hyunjin actually realized how close he was to him; words reaching his mouth before his ears.

Soft warm lips met his, kissing him so briefly and lightly he wondered for a moment if he wasn’t only imagining it. But then they did it again, meeting his upper lip first before repeating the gesture for the bottom one. At the fourth time, Hyunjin moved in for more, kissing back almost as lightly but not briefly at all, instead taking his time to savor the gentle taste of vanilla on Felix’s lips.

When Felix’s body actually pressed him against the counter, Hyunjin raised his hands to meet his waist and pull him closer. Their kisses became more intense, with lips pressing and sucking at each other almost to the point of bruising if they were to go on for too long. So when Hyunjin felt one of Felix’s thighs press between his, he didn’t exactly expect the younger to move away from his mouth; his hands on Hyunjin’s jawline stopping him from following the movement.

\- **Guess I’m not that bad of a kisser, after all.** – Felix teased against his mouth.

\- **Oh my god** – Hyunjin sighed, also moving away before looking back at him. – **Is that why you’re kissing me? To prove me wrong?** – asked, taking his hands off his waist to instead support himself on the counter’s edge.

\- **No, I just couldn’t resist.** – confessed with a small laugh, getting closer again. – **Don’t really need an excuse to kiss your pretty mouth but we can pretend I do.** – his hands traveled down to stop on top of Hyunjin’s against the counter.

Hyunjin didn’t answer, simply looking back at Felix and seeing honesty in his eyes. And also teasing, a hint of kindness and desire. Dark, warm and contagious desire that made him move forward again, kissing him first that time around. Felix kissed back in a matter of seconds but kept it soft, caring. A little too short.

\- **Let’s go.** – he felt the words against his lips before Felix stepped away.

Unlike before, that time Felix really walked away and he took advantage of his hands already on top of Hyunjin’s, grabbing one of his wrists to almost drag him out of the kitchen. And Hyunjin simply followed, confused about what was actually going on. When Felix took them to Hyunjin’s bedroom, stopping near the bed and grabbing at the bottom of Hyunjin’s shirt, he assumed he understood it.

\- **Felix**. – so he stopped him, holding his hands halfway into taking his shirt off.

\- **Can you trust me for, like, five minutes?** – he stared at him, calm. Only then Hyunjin allowed him to continue. – **Lie down on your stomach.** – Felix continued, as soon as he undressed Hyunjin’s torso.

Still suspicious, Hyunjin reluctantly lied down on his bed again, exactly like Felix told him to. The next moment, Felix was climbing both on top of the bed and on top of Hyunjin, almost sitting down at the back of Hyunjin’s thighs. He only actually understood it a few seconds before feeling Felix’s hands on his back, pressing at his muscles with slow but firm moves.

Soon enough Felix was in fact taking some moans out of Hyunjin, just not the kind he had assumed first.

Hyunjin couldn’t tell exactly how long – or short, really – it took him to fall asleep like that.

❀

Waking up next to Felix wasn’t entirely a surprise. Partly because Hyunjin could remember falling asleep while receiving a massage from him and partly because he just _knew_ , somehow, Felix wouldn’t go back to his own bed. The other boy had developed some kind of liking for teasing Hyunjin, apparently.

What surprised Hyunjin was the realization that Felix was big spooning him. Not only sleeping next to him but also pressing against his back, nuzzling on the back of his neck, holding his naked torso with one arm and tangling one leg on his. When he tried to stretch himself awake, Felix’s arm got stronger around his body, pulling them closer together while he pressed himself a little more on Hyunjin’s back. It was about then that Hyunjin felt _something else_ against his ass and– Felix was either quite big or hard. Hyunjin didn’t know how to act about any of the two.

He tried getting away, rolling to lie on his back first and trying to escape the arm circling his waist. But Felix followed, not only pressing more against him but also getting his other arm around Hyunjin as well, hugging him tight and sleepily moaning on his neck. Hyunjin sighed.

\- **Felix**. – mumbled, trying again to slowly move out of his arms.

\- **Hm**

\- **I’d like to get up**. – continued, only to get the exact same response:

\- **Hm** – and yet, Felix didn’t move away in the slightest.

On the contrary, he moved _closer_. Buried his face on Hyunjin’s neck, breathing in deep, and moved his leg up on top of him, reaching his waist and successfully making Hyunjin realize _he_ was getting hard.

\- **Fuck. Me.** – Hyunjin cursed under his breath, apparently loud enough for Felix to hear it because the next second he was laughing slightly against his neck.

\- **Since you asking so nicely.** – sarcasm was mumbled against Hyunjin’s neck.

\- **That’s no– Shut up.** – huffed, getting one more silent laugh in return.

\- **You smell so good.** – Felix practically moaned, again breathing in deep.

\- **Can you pleas– I need to pee.** – he tried then, giving up on moving away on his own.

\- **You making tha’ up** – mumbled on his neck, while Hyunjin tried to push his sleepiness away from his face with his fingers.

\- **Want me to pee on you?** – grumbled back.

\- **Not really on my kink list** – Felix commented on it but still didn’t actually move until Hyunjin mumbled a curse and sighed again. – **I like you better when you’re hangover.** – added, rolling onto his back; eyes still closed now in a frown. Hyunjin didn’t pay him much attention, just sighing loudly and getting up to practically run away to the bathroom.

He was hard. And though he could probably use morning wood as an excuse, he just couldn’t lie to himself that much. Not when he could still feel the replicas of the shivers that had gone down his body every single time he heard Felix moan or just simply talk, low and raspy, against his neck. Not when he could remember almost too clearly the way Felix had kissed him the night before or the obvious desire in his eyes.

\- **This is ridiculous.** – whispered to himself, finally moving away from the door he had closed with his own back.

The only reasonable explanation was that he was sex deprived. It made total sense! He basically hadn’t gotten any proper sex since Minho found his soulmate and there has a limit to how long he could go with his hand alone. He blamed that Jeongin kid for all of it, he was the one stealing Minho from him – and he kept going up on Hyunjin’s list of annoying people so if anyone is to blame it’s him.

Huffing in indignation, Hyunjin proceeded to wash his face with cold water to help himself cool down. Brushed his teeth while stepping out of his pajama pants and got in the shower, turning the water on not too hot and promptly focusing on washing his body.

He actually heard it when Felix got in to also wash up and brush his teeth, but that wasn’t unusual at that point. Having to share one bathroom for a couple of months meant at some point they had gotten used to go in while the other was in the shower. And though Hyunjin tried not to do it, Felix never really cared that much, so it wasn’t a surprise for Hyunjin to hear him get in the bathroom. Surprise was when Hyunjin heard him opening the frosted glass door and get inside the shower cabin too.

\- **What are you** – protested immediately, reflexively trying to cover his own body with his bath sponge even though the water would take all the foam away in no time.

\- **Think it’s time we cross this line too** – Felix calmly answered, getting closer. When his body was mere centimeters away from Hyunjin’s, he continued with a smile. – **If you manage to do this without getting a hard on, I’ll allow you to continue pretending this sexual tension doesn’t exist.**

Hyunjin stared at him, speechless for a moment and stumbling on his words as soon as he was able to actually say any. – **What– Tension? I– Are you familiar with the notion of privacy or–**

\- **You really want me to get out?** – he arched one eyebrow at him.

\- **Do I even need to answer that?!** – Hyunjin huffed, looking everywhere but at Felix.

\- **Yes**. – the fact that his answer was firm and completely serious made Hyunjin look back at him, gulping down his own words.

He wasn’t sure what made Felix apparently fight back a smile – if his lack of reaction or the way he certainly blushed, judging by how warm his face felt – but whatever it was Felix was pleased with it. And he didn’t move away in the slightest, instead looking down Hyunjin’s body and making him gulp again. Their silence was so heavy with tension Hyunjin couldn’t stand it anymore but Felix didn’t seem inclined to take any action to solve it, instead looking back up at him and suggestively raising one eyebrow again.

He was challenging him. So, being the brave one he was, Hyunjin just looked away with a fake disgusted pout.

\- **Fine, whatever.** – grumbled; eyes shooting up when Felix huffed a laugh in disbelief and pushed him against the cold wall.

\- **You’re so fucking ridiculous** – protested, rolling his eyes while stepping closer to Hyunjin again. – **Just kiss me, coward.** – it was an order. And he was waiting for Hyunjin to follow it, staring at him and not moving any closer or any further.

It took him a couple of seconds to, looking from Felix’s eyes and the cute freckles decorating his face to his pretty, soft lips. Hyunjin did feel the tension between them; an invisible force pulling him towards Felix, making him want to hold him and kiss him senseless. So he gave up trying to resist it, kissing him right on the lips and getting kissed back almost immediately.

Felix pushed him against the wall again, with hands traveling up his chest to reach his neck and pulling him in, kissing him deeper. That was when Hyunjin gave up trying to cover his own body with his sponge, instead reaching for his soulmate’s waist to grab it. If he weren’t hard already, he would’ve gotten right then just from hearing Felix’s long soft moan while breaking their mouths apart.

Felix didn’t say a word. He just stepped back slightly and looked down at their bodies together, looking back up with a teasing smile and a suggestively raised eyebrow.

\- **It’s your fault.** – Hyunjin accused, unable to actually think rationally.

Felix had the audacity to smile, clearly pleased with it. – **I shall solve it then.** – was his only warning before turning off the shower and getting on his knees.

\- **Oh god**

\- **I didn’t even do anything** – Felix laughed, looking back up at him. – **Yet**. – added. He looked so good from that angle Hyunjin forced himself to close his eyes.

\- **Shut up.** – he breathed out, sucking another breath in and halting upon feeling a hand at the base of his cock.

\- **Look at me.** – Felix’s voice demanded, low and heavy with desire.

Hyunjin obeyed just to find out Felix was waiting for it, staring up at him like he couldn’t possibly go on if Hyunjin wasn’t watching. That must’ve been it because, as soon as Hyunjin gave him his attention, Felix made a show of getting closer and gently planting a soft kiss right next to where his fingers were holding Hyunjin’s cock. His tongue came out to lick it all the way to the tip before he closed his lips around the head and Hyunjin simply watched, getting harder and feeling hotter by the second.

Maybe Felix liked it. Taking it slowly, being watched and having the power to make his partner feel more excited with every little move he made. Or maybe he knew Hyunjin liked it. Being the one looking downwards and watching his own cock slide inside his partner’s mouth, enjoying both the view and the feeling. Either way, Felix definitely turned it into a show, only looking away from Hyunjin’s eyes when he was to suck him harder, moaning around him in a way that pushed Hyunjin closer and closer to the edge.

It was all so breathtaking it soon made Hyunjin’s legs tremble. Yet, it was only when he noticed that Felix was also jerking himself off that the feeling pooling inside him became unbearable. His hands splashed against the walls close to him, trying to hold him up, and he called out for Felix with a breathless moan only to realize it would make it worse. Instead of slowing down in any way, Felix sucked at the head of his cock and then moved away a little, looking back up at Hyunjin and moving his hand to jerk him off until Hyunjin came on his face.

\- **Fuck** – he sighed, resting his head back. He suspected the only reason why he was still standing was because his back was sticking to the wall.

\- **I guess you really needed that.** – Felix teased as he stood back up, laughing a little.

\- **Shit, you’re going to become even more annoying now.** – Hyunjin grumbled, sighing and faking discontentment while looking back at the other boy. He saw Felix tuning into a serious expression.

\- **Just gave you a blowjob, you could show some gratitude.** – he demanded; body pressing Hyunjin back against the wall.

Hyunjin rolled his eyes at him, huffing, but still met Felix’s lips with his, kissing him slowly. Felix smiled against his mouth before kissing back, hands traveling up to Hyunjin’s waist to hold him, and for a long moment they just kissed a little more, soft and calm and almost ridiculously gentle.

That was until Hyunjin found himself holding Felix’s face between his hands and looking at him like it was his first time doing so. Their silence then was completely different; light with care instead of heavy with tension. Hyunjin still wasn’t ready for it.

\- **You have come on your hair.** – he promptly ruined it himself; one hand reaching up to clean the other boy’s hair while Felix broke down in laughter.

\- **That’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever told me.** – Felix teased before stepping away to turn the shower back on.

❀

\- **... find someone but I think you have way more connections than I do.** – Hyunjin heard Felix’s voice as soon as he got inside their apartment. – **I’m really sorry.** – his voice lamented from the kitchen.

\- **Please, it’s not your fault!** – someone else promptly protested, as Hyunjin took his shoes off and noticed an unknown pair at their entrance. – **I just have no idea where I’m gonna find someone at least half as good as you.** – the same voice continued and only then Hyunjin recognized it; an unavoidable frown taking over his face.

\- **Is Minho not any good?** – Felix asked.

\- **I couldn’t possibly do it with him.** – was Jeongin’s answer, to which Felix laughed a bit.

\- **I can guess why.**

In all honesty, maybe Hyunjin didn’t really need to go to the kitchen. Maybe he was not hungry at all and just a tiny bit curious. Maybe the reason he chose to put his earphones on was cause he assumed that would be his best chance of going in without disrupting the conversation happening there and if he didn’t actually play anything on them was no one’s business. Either way, he just walked in as casually as he could manage, giving the other boys a fake surprised look before continuing his way to the fridge, opening it in search for something to eat.

\- **I’m making pasta, in case you’re interested!** – Felix raised his voice a bit to speak to him but Hyunjin just pretended not to hear, still looking inside the fridge. – **Wait, what about him?** – his tone changed, certainly going back to the conversation with his friend.

\- **Him?** – Jeongin repeated in apparent disbelief. – **Hyunjin?** – he lowered his voice, maybe to make sure he wasn’t heard, and Hyunjin fought to keep his posture.

\- **I think he might be good at it.** – Felix replied.

Hyunjin could feel their eyes on him while they all stayed silent for a moment and he had to fake a sigh to hide the actual reason behind his deep breath, grabbing his pack of banana milk from the fridge.

\- **You want me to dom and fuck your soulmate on camera?**

The little banana milk bottles slipped from his hands at Jeongin’s words, tumbling down to the floor or back inside the fridge, and Hyunjin’s facade fell as fast. He knew he had no excuse but still turned around to look at the other boys, in shock, before he could stop himself from doing so. To his surprise, they were both laughing.

\- **I knew he was listening.** – Jeongin gave Felix a knowing look before turning back to Hyunjin. – **That was a joke, by the way.** – added, clearly pleased with the outcome.

\- **Though it was oddly specific.** – Felix was still laughing, getting his attention back to the food he was cooking.

\- **Can you dance?** – the other boy continued while Hyunjin was still speechless.

\- **He can, I’ve seen it.** – Felix answered first. – **Caught him dancing in his room some time ago.**

\- **I’m in need of a dance partner for my final presentation cause Felix sadly has a final exam on the same day.** – Jeongin began explaining without being asked to, proceeding to roll his eyes at his friend’s idea. – **I don’t know what makes him think you’d agree but I’m slightly desperate.** – he ended with a sigh, staring at Hyunjin then.

And Hyunjin stared back, as confused as ever; the empty banana milk pack still in his hands. Seated at their table, Jeongin raised an eyebrow at him, expectant. Hyunjin looked away at Felix, who seemed completely unbothered by the whole thing and was just focusing on the two pots in front of him.

\- **What makes you think I’d agree to it?** – asked, suspicious.

\- **You have potential and if anyone can be as good as I am it should be you.** – Felix answered without turning around. – **Plus, it would be a good way for you two to get close.**

Hyunjin furrowed his eyebrows at that, looking away from him too and taking the opportunity to collect his banana milk bottles. As he stored all his banana milk back on the fridge, he allowed himself to consider the idea. Not that he _wanted_ to get close with Jeongin at all but keeping him away was apparently not an option since he had basically befriended almost everyone around Hyunjin, from his soulmate to his best friend and even his cousin. So maybe Felix had a point and, being about dancing, that would be a nice way for them to get on better terms. Hyunjin took off his earphones.

\- **Why would you agree to it?** – he furrowed his eyebrows deeper, walking towards Jeongin and analyzing his reaction. – **If I remember correctly, last time we talked you were threatening to punch me in the face.** – added. And yet, Jeongin just looked away with a huffed laugh.

\- **Why would you punch him in the face?** – Felix turned around to look at them, indignation in his voice.

\- **He was treating you like shit and I won’t have that.** – Jeongin argued immediately, copying his friend’s expression before Felix gave in to a smile.

\- **That’s cute but I can punch him myself.** – the later answered, making Jeongin laugh again. – **There’s no need though** – added before Hyunjin could react at all and then stopped, looking at him for a moment. – **He’s been a good boy.** – he smiled at Hyunjin, suggestive and successfully putting a faint blush on his face.

\- **Great** – Jeongin copied Felix again, smiling cheekily.

\- **Minho is a great dancer, why don’t you ask him?** – Hyunjin tried to get back to their original conversation, feeling a little too flustered by the path they were taking. Jeongin’s expression became serious in just a couple seconds.

\- **It’s a contemporary dance piece. Even if his style wasn’t completely different, I couldn’t possibly do my choreography with him.** – he explained. While Felix returned to his cooking with a silent laugh, Hyunjin still couldn’t really understand what the issue was; that seemed to set Jeongin off. – **I’m sure you know how hot he is. Sometimes he can make me hard just by looking at me, I can’t risk doing my final presentation with a hard dick!**

For maybe the first time interacting with Jeongin, Hyunjin felt the urge to laugh. And he tried to stop it, really, but looking away at Felix and seeing him laugh harder than before made it that much more difficult.

❀

Ironically enough, Hyunjin agreeing to help Jeongin with his presentation ended up being a turning point of sorts.

Regardless of that one time Felix invaded his shower, they hadn’t gone that far ever again. Of course, he could still feel all the tension flourishing between himself and Felix. But he would stubbornly never go past some kissing against the apartment walls and a little grabbing here and there and, much to his dismay, so wouldn’t Felix.

It was a test, kind of. Felix had pushed their relationship forward once already, so now he was waiting for Hyunjin to take a step. He knew Hyunjin wanted more but he wouldn’t give it to him unless Hyunjin admitted to it. And Hyunjin was stubborn as a mule. Until–

Until a couple days later, when Jeongin came to their apartment again after spending all his saturday afternoon auditioning some students from his school. After a mild breakdown – _what the fuck? Jeongin’s still in high school? And he’s a minor too??_ – Hyunjin asked if he could maybe see the choreography. He knew dancing, sure, but not being certain if he was able to perform a contemporary dance piece _with_ Jeongin was the reason why he had only said he’d consider it. Maybe taking a look at the choreography first would help him decide.

Jeongin must’ve been really desperate because he agreed to show him right away. So they moved closer to the walls all the furniture in their living room, clearing a big space in the middle, and Jeongin played a remix of a popular song on his phone. Then he danced it with Felix. And it was not a difficult choreography on Felix’s part, so Hyunjin could probably do it too, but it was so... intimate. The way Felix would hold him and move with Jeongin’s body, like he was controlling him, along with the focused expression on his face made it all look so intense. Hyunjin couldn’t move his eyes away from Felix even after they finished dancing. He wished Felix would hold him and touch him like that too.

\- **Think you can do it?** – he heard Jeongin’s voice and forced himself to look at him.

\- **Probably, yeah, I’ll try** – mumbled; his eyes traveling back to Felix before he could control it.

Jeongin sighed loudly. – **Oh my god, thanks!** – he sounded like a weight was just taken away from his shoulders but Hyunjin couldn’t bother to look at him again to check his expression. – **I could kiss you right now but I feel like you’d rather have Felix doing that so... I’ll leave you two to it.** – when his tone turned suggestive, Hyunjin did look at him again, seeing a known cheeky smile right as Jeongin turned around to hurriedly grab his stuff, walking away like he was suddenly late for something else. – **I’ll see you on monday!** – shouted from the entrance before leaving, not even specifying who he was talking to.

\- **I don’t know if you’re aware of the way you’re looking at me but** – Felix started, as soon as Jeongin closed their apartment door.

He didn’t get to finish it, though. Hyunjin was already walking towards him and rapidly held his face in his hands, kissing him like he couldn’t possibly stay away for a single more second. That seemed to catch Felix off guard, judging by how it took him a couple of seconds to react, but soon enough he kissed back; hands reaching Hyunjin’s waist to keep him close.

With urgent and sloppy kisses, Hyunjin stepped around trying to find the couch in their still disorganized living room. Felix laughed into his mouth when they found their bookshelf first, breathlessly pulling away to look around for a second before grabbing Hyunjin’s shirt and taking them in the right direction.

Hyunjin was on top of him as soon as Felix fell on the couch, straddling him as they kissed and trying to take their clothes off. And Felix didn’t stop him at all, instead helping to get rid of their shirts and keeping Hyunjin close to him with hands on his thighs.

\- **What even got you so riled up?** – he teased, still, after breaking their kiss with a laugh. His laugh turned into a soft moan when Hyunjin pressed onto his lap.

\- **You can’t just turn me on like this and then do nothing about it.** – it was almost a protest, except for Hyunjin’s voice being closer to a moan than anything else. He kissed Felix again.

That was apparently enough to push Felix into action too; hands sliding up his body to tease him and pulling him as close as it was physically possible, mouth leaving his to kiss him down his neck and biting at his skin when Hyunjin pressed down on his lap again. His jeans were definitely feeling too tight, so his hands left Felix’s blond hair to travel down and start to unbutton them.

\- **Crossing the line again, are we?** – Felix whisper-moaned close to his ear.

\- **I’m crossing all lines** – Hyunjin breathed out, searching for Felix’s lips again but only being able to kiss him for a couple seconds before he moved away.

Felix made them stop, eyes meeting Hyunjin’s and hands holding his wrists when he tried to unbutton his jeans too. For a moment that lasted close to an eternity, he just stared at him in silence, like he was evaluating how serious Hyunjin was about what he had just said. He looked so good with his hair a mess, lips swollen and eyes dark and all because of Hyunjin.

\- **Not on the couch** – Felix mumbled. Still, he didn’t move, like he was waiting for Hyunjin to agree or step back right then.

\- **You sucked me off in the shower but now won’t fuck me on the couch?** – half protested, not crossing his arms at his chest only because Felix was still holding both his wrists.

\- **We literally have two beds to choose from** – Felix mimicked his tone; a repressed smile tugging at the corners of his lips. It turned into a small laugh as soon as Hyunjin rolled his eyes at him.

Sighing loudly and getting up, it took him mere seconds to pull Felix up as well and drag him through the apartment. Hyunjin chose his own room because it was closer and yet he barely made it in before he was kicking his own jeans off. Felix seemed to find his impatience hilarious because he was still laughing, getting closer anyway and pulling him by the waist to kiss him again.

Hyunjin immediately went for Felix’s jeans, unbuttoning them and pushing them down while guiding Felix towards his bed. Then he broke their kiss to push Felix to the mattress, watching him fall with another huffed laugh and taking the opportunity to totally undress him. It wasn’t his first time seeing him naked but it still surprised him how nice Felix’s body was; not too thin and not too muscular, just the right amount of both. The way he dared to take a look at his half hard dick and raise one unimpressed eyebrow made Felix laugh again, propping both elbows on the bed and watching as Hyunjin also took off the rest of his clothing.

\- **Now you’re showing off?** – Felix teased, a suggestive look on his face.

\- **Shut up** – Hyunjin huffed, half laughing, climbing on top of him to kiss him again.

Felix met him halfway, reaching for his waist with his hands again, fingers digging into Hyunjin’s flesh when he sat at his lap one more time to touch both their erections together.

\- **How do you want it?** – he asked into Hyunjin’s mouth, though he could probably already tell.

\- **Just stay there and look pretty while I ride you.** – Hyunjin pressed his chest down, trying to make Felix lie down again. _Trying_ only, since Felix kept his position.

\- **I don’t think I can just watch though.** – he pulled Hyunjin closer, starting to kiss his neck.

\- **You will.** – grumbled back weakly, trying not to moan at the way Felix was kissing and sucking at his skin.

\- **Let me prep you** – Felix’s voice was low and close to Hyunjin’s ear, almost like a moan, and he liked it maybe a bit too much. – **Please**.

\- **Fuck** – breathed out.

He stepped back a little, ignoring how weak his legs felt and reaching for his bedside table to get the lube from the drawer. He threw it at Felix, who immediately took the small bottle and got some lube on his fingers, warming it up while he pulled Hyunjin back to his lap with his free hand. His lips met Hyunjin first, kissing him one more time while his fingers teased at his entrance. And Hyunjin didn’t really expect to moan that soon but Felix was apparently not playing around because he just teased him a bit before getting two fingers in right away.

A curse slipped out of Hyunjin’s lips again, breathless, as he felt Felix’s fingers slowly slide inside him. He gaped at the sensation, curling to rest his forehead on Felix’s shoulder.

\- **I guess it’s been quite long** – teased Felix again, voice even raspier than before.

\- **Do you wanna wreck me that much?** – though it was supposed to be a protest, Hyunjin’s voice came out in a moan, defeating his whole purpose.

\- **Do I need to answer that?** – clearly pleased about his accomplishments, Felix asked almost with a laugh, locking eyes with Hyunjin as soon as he moved away enough to give him a look. – **You look even prettier like this and I’ve barely even started.** – he mused, only then starting to slowly move his fingers.

Hyunjin trembled slightly, catching his breath and resting his arms on Felix’s shoulders for support. Felix pulled him closer by the hand on his waist, letting it then slide to the back of Hyunjin’s thigh. Maybe he knew in advance Hyunjin would need support right there because his knees almost gave up on him just moments later, when Felix closed his lips around the head of his dick, sucking lightly as his fingers carefully worked Hyunjin open. Another curse left Hyunjin’s mouth, as he moved to have his hands instead of his arms resting at Felix’s shoulders, and he tried to get his breathing to slow down a bit. He was not about to allow Felix to make him come just like that, no matter how hard he was making it for him.

\- **Can you just fuck me already?!** – again, his protest sounded nothing like it, half moaned and half breathless. But it seemed to work slightly, for Felix lifted his head away from his cock to lick a laugh against his abdomen.

\- **I’m not about to hurt you just cause you want my dick so much.** – he replied, reaching up, pleased smile meeting Hyunjin’s nipple before sucking it lightly between his teeth and lapping his tongue over it to get another moan out.

\- **Fucking hell** – Hyunjin whispered, his voice breaking when Felix buried his fingers deeper into him and curved them just right.

Felix mouth had kissed and sucked at Hyunjin’s skin all the way back to his neck by the time he added a third finger into him but Hyunjin couldn’t care less about the marks Felix was leaving on him. He was both melting and getting furious at how well Felix was insisting on getting him ready, since it was actually sweet for how dedicated he was but also really infuriating for how he wouldn’t even allow Hyunjin to speed it up. He’d be riding his god damn fingers if it weren’t for Felix’s free hand still at the back of his thigh holding him in place.

Then said hand pulled him closer towards Felix while he lied back slightly, looking straight into Hyunjin’s eyes again. It left Hyunjin’s thigh to give Felix some support instead, helping him keep his half sitting position, and Hyunjin immediately took the chance to find his way into his lap. Felix stared directly at him while pulling his fingers out and guiding his cock to replace them and that moment alone made Hyunjin feel like he could catch on fire.

\- **I’m all yours** – Felix moaned at him, lying back on his elbows while Hyunjin sat on him. He wanted to watch Hyunjin riding him and it made it all that much hotter.

So Hyunjin stared back, starting to move slowly but soon finding his rhythm. He couldn’t keep any of it for too long, though; his rhythm became erratic as pleasure built up more and more and his eyes kept closing when his body trembled, mouth falling open instead. Yet he was still able to see the way Felix looked at him and the way he lost strength on his arms and fell completely on the bed, reaching Hyunjin’s hips with his hands and helping him recover some stability while also thrusting up into him. Since Felix had already gotten him quite on edge, it didn’t take long for Hyunjin to come, bringing Felix to do the same soon after while still ridding him with whatever strength he had left.

He fell on his bed with a satisfied sigh; mind still blurry, breathing heavy and legs weak. He could feel the warmth of Felix’s body next to him and hear the sound of his also heavy breathing. Somehow it made him feel calm as they allowed themselves a moment to cool down and rest.

When he looked back at his soulmate, Felix was already looking at him. Smiles formed at both of their faces.

\- **That was nice.** – Felix mumbled, voice raspy and barely above a whisper.

- **It was.** – he mumbled back, looking away at the ceiling.

\- **Should do it again sometime.** – was Felix’s casual suggestion.

Hyunjin scoffed at it.

❀

Sunday morning he woke up next to Felix again, but on the other’s bed instead. After a second round of sex and a long shower, Hyunjin was feeling too lazy to clean his own bed so he decided to just sleep _somewhere else_. Felix didn’t seem to mind it at all, keeping a detestably annoying smile on his face and lying next to Hyunjin while pretending he actually slept naked every night.

Sleeping next to a naked Felix wasn’t exactly what fucked Hyunjin up, though. The feeling of his warm body next to Hyunjin’s sure helped, but what did the trick was being in Felix’s bed. Being surrounded by Felix’s scent, weirdly enough, made Hyunjin feel so much at ease it didn’t take him long to fall deep asleep; his body involuntarily searching for warmth close to Felix. Hyunjin hadn’t slept that peacefully in months and he didn’t know what to do with that newfound information.

He breathed in deep and sighed; eyes still closed and body intertwined with Felix’s here and there like that was his only option for a comfortable position. Felix moved slightly, hugging him closer and nuzzling against him, he too breathing in deep and sighing into Hyunjin’s hair.

\- **This is nice too** – he mumbled, apparently noticing that Hyunjin was awake. – **You really smell so good all the time.**

\- **I should get up** – Hyunjin mumbled back, trying to blink his sleepiness away and move out of bed.

But Felix didn’t allow him to, holding him tighter. – **No**. – demanded, going as far as making them roll together in bed until he was lying almost on top of Hyunjin. – **It’s fucking sunday**. – lazily mumbled on Hyunjin’s shoulder.

Hyunjin thought about pushing him away, but he gave up as soon as his hands found Felix’s body on top of his, sliding against warm skin only. – **You just gonna lie naked on top of me?!** – he protested then, moving to try and look at Felix but accomplishing absolutely nothing.

\- **Didn’t seem to mind that last night.** – when he moved again, his voice was right next to Hyunjin’s ear.

Hyunjin gave up with a loud sigh. – **You’re literally so annoying why do I even lik–**

He stopped himself as soon as the words filtered through his brain, thankfully fast enough for him not to finish his sentence, but it didn’t really matter cause immediately he _felt_ Felix smile close to his ear. Hyunjin shut his mouth, pressing his lips close and bathing in his regret for the small moment Felix allowed him to before lazily propping one of his elbows on the bed and getting up just enough to look at him.

\- **Did you just–**

\- **I didn’t.** – Hyunjin interrupted immediately, but Felix’s smile grew bigger.

\- **You like me.** – he announced, so obviously pleased that Hyunjin had to look away from him.

\- **That’s not what I said.** – yet he felt his cheeks heat up slightly.

\- **You. Like. Me.** – Felix repeated, pausing between every word as if savoring them. He lied back down, resting his head on the pillow that time but still close enough to kiss Hyunjin’s warm cheek. – **I think it’s so cute of you to confess first.** – teased against Hyunjin’s skin, laughing when Hyunjin turned his face the opposite direction.

\- **I didn’t– You’re unbearable.** – he huffed, indignant.

\- **Yet you like me.**

\- **Jesus fucking Christ** – Hyunjin sighed, exhausted.

Felix laughed again, silently and nuzzling against Hyunjin’s ear before whispering into it – **I like you too.**

Hyunjin fought back an involuntary smile, trying to pretend he didn’t care while being unsure about who exactly he was trying to fool. He felt Felix laugh again and kiss the helix of his ear, coincidentally the one where his soulmate mark was.

\- **My arm is numb.** – Felix moaned then, sounding reluctant about pulling his arm from under Hyunjin’s body.

\- **Serves you right.** – Hyunjin grumbled at him, fighting back a laugh. He could probably get up if he tried again, since Felix wasn’t holding him tight anymore, but suddenly he didn’t really feel like it anymore.

❀

\- **So… is it true?** – Jisung leaned in closer, eyes following Felix as the later walked away from them.

\- **What** – Hyunjin blurted out, completely lost until he saw his friend’s whole expression turn suggestive.

\- **Does he fuck as good as he looks?**

Hyunjin breathed in, putting down his glass while trying to keep calm. At the other side of the table, Yeji almost chocked on her apple juice trying not to laugh and, right next to her, Felix’s cousin looked up at them, eyes wide with surprise. It was James’ birthday – which Hyunjin completely forgot about or else he would never allow Felix to mark him up... more – so they were all at the Lee’s family house for a _little_ birthday dinner. In conclusion, it was neither the time nor the place for Jisung to even _consider_ talking about anyone’s sex life.

\- **I don’t know what you’re talking about.** – Hyunjin tried, immediately getting an incredulous look from his own cousin.

\- **I’m confused.** – Chaeryeong declared, looking around at all of them.

Yeji momentarily lost all her composure in a laugh before turning to the other girl. – **I don’t know if you noticed our pretty cousins kinda hating each other up to a few weeks ago but** – she paused, looking back at Hyunjin, teasing him with every following word but keeping her voice low enough to not get anyone else’s attention. – **To sum it up, since they found out that they’re soulmates Hyunjin’s been behaving like the idiot he is and refusing to give up whatever reason he had to hate on Felix even though it’s obvious they’re fucking.**

\- **Stop spreading lies, brat!** – Hyunjin hissed. Yeji just stuck her tongue out at him, getting a small laugh from Chaeryeong.

\- **You’re aware I can notice the makeup all over your neck, right?** – Jisung argued, raising one eyebrow at him. – **You didn’t even do a good job at it, honestly.**

\- **My sex life is none of your business.** – he protested lightly, only for his friend to give him an indignant look.

\- **I’ve given you _nothing_ but support about this relationship and now it’s not my business?!** – protested back, overly dramatic, with a hand splashing against his own chest and all. At the other side of the table, both girls started laughing at his antics.

Hyunjin took a deep breath. – **I’m not gonna talk about this at his dad’s birthday dinner.** – grumbled at his friend.

\- **So you did fuck** – Jisung replied, with a cheeky smile taking over.

\- **Did you really miss the way they’ve been glancing at each other the whole dinner?** – Yeji teased too, suggestively rising one eyebrow. Jisung’s smile simply got bigger.

\- **My mind is getting images I do not want.** – Chaeryeong closed her eyes, shaking her head at the conversation but still laughing at it. Yeji mimicked her reaction a moment later, lightly slapping one of her arms and putting on a displeased expression among her laugh; it puzzled Hyunjin a bit how the two of them got close like that when they barely even knew each other at all.

\- **You seem to be having fun.** – Felix commented upon returning to his place at the end of the long table.

Before anyone could stop him, Jisung decided to answer. – **I was just asking Hyunjin if you really fuck as good as you look** – he started with a grin, shameless as usual. – **Cause I heard from Jeongin that you do but I don’t know how much we can trust him.** – added, still, while Felix laughed.

\- **Do I?** – he too asked Hyunjin, apparently pleased with that whole mess. Yeji almost fell off her chair and onto Chaeryeong’s lap with how hard she was laughing.

\- **Don’t encourage them!** – Hyunjin protested, kicking him below the table, but Felix simply laughed as well.

He took one more deep breath, sighing about two seconds before all of them were distracted from the conversation by theirs parents deciding to finally end that dinner and go home.

When Felix’s parents invited them to sleep over that night, both he and Felix refused the invitation with the excuse that they had classes the next day. Yet, judging by the way Felix kissed him the moment they stepped inside their apartment, Hyunjin wasn’t fully convinced about classes being the reason why they chose to go home.

❀

They met with Jeongin at a dance studio close to Felix’s university. As it turns out, the boy’s _“I’ll see you on monday!”_ was directed at Hyunjin, which he confirmed earlier that day by sending Hyunjin a text – how did he even get his number? – with the directions to said dance studio. And Felix was there too, waiting for Hyunjin by the entrance to guide him to the room where Jeongin was already warming up at.

Hyunjin warmed up as well while watching them perform Jeongin’s choreography one more time and then Felix explained it to him too, together with Jeongin, to make sure he understood it correctly. But dancing with Jeongin wasn’t exactly easy, especially when the choreography felt so intimate and they weren’t on good terms, so they couldn’t really focus for too long.

\- **Let’s take a break** – Felix announced, when they got the moves wrong for the third time within two minutes, and both Jeongin and Hyunjin sighed tiredly. – **It’s almost dinner time, should we get some fried chicken delivery?**

Jeongin laughed. – **You should really stop trying to get us kicked out.** – he walked towards his stuff, apparently pleased with the idea.

\- **I’m ordering.** – Felix just smiled cheekily at his friend, soon turning his attention back to his phone.

\- **For how long did you rent the room?** – Hyunjin looked at Jeongin after wiping the sweat on his own face, waiting for him to finish drinking some water before answering with a small laugh.

\- **I didn’t.**

\- **He doesn’t need to, he owns the place.** – Felix added right away, glancing up at them. Hyunjin opened his eyes wide in surprise.

\- **_My mother_ owns the place.** – Jeongin corrected, sitting down next to his friend while Felix rolled his eyes at him. – **And she loves Felix, otherwise he’d never get away with breaking so many of the studio’s rules.** – explained, suggestively raising one eyebrow at Hyunjin while he too sat close to them.

Felix looked up from his phone again, suddenly indignant. – **Can you believe this piece of shit let me pay rent here for nearly a year instead of telling me he could have any room for free?!** – and Jeongin started laughing. – **Even when we came here together, this bastard would say _nothing_ and watch me pay for our room every time! **

\- **I couldn’t just ruin business like that.** – Jeongin argued, with no sign of regret.

Hyunjin fought back a laugh. – **Was that how you met?** – he couldn’t help asking, continuing when both of them nodded. – **I kinda thought you were classmates or something.**

\- **Nah, he’s a SOPA student.** – Felix shrugged it off and gave him a look. – **We both know my dad wouldn’t allow that.**

Hyunjin didn’t actually answer. He didn’t really know how to, even though that feeling was completely familiar to him; he’s own father also would never allow him to go to an art school or pursuit dancing as anything more than an hobby. Not that Hyunjin thought he was good enough to make a living out of dancing but it was a popular dream job for a lot of teenagers and he wasn’t that different from the rest of them.

He turned to Jeongin again, mildly curious. – **You wanna be a professional dancer? Or, like, an idol?**

\- **Do I look like a role model you’d want for your kids?** – Jeongin laughed at him, resting back against the mirror. – **Plus, I could never give up my soulmate. Not after we found each other.** – added, on a more serious note, eyes meeting Hyunjin’s with something akin of honesty.

Hyunjin nodded, understanding his point. He knew for a fact that idol group members and most celebrities were usually forced to get their soulmate marks removed and hide any possible romantic partners, since they could never simultaneously pretend to put their fans first and have a public soulmate. If Jeongin were to be an idol, he would have to hide Minho’s whole existence in his life, which didn’t feel like an option for him at all.

\- **Gross**. – Felix grumbled in response, faking displeasure.

Jeongin kicked him. – **Shut the fuck up** – yet he was still laughing, giving his friend a teasing look before pointing one hand at Hyunjin. – **Would you give him up?**

And suddenly they fell silent. Felix still resting against the mirror and Jeongin next to him with an almost challenging expression on his face, waiting for an answer even though the glint in his eyes said he already knew what it was. When Felix turned to look at him again, Hyunjin felt both speechless and breathless, his cheeks heating up slightly while he too waited for a reply.

Regardless of how intensely Felix stared at him, his lips slowly curved into a playful smile while one of his hands reached out to lightly pinch Hyunjin’s cheek.

\- **Isn’t he too cute to give up though?**

\- **Gross**. – Jeongin mimicked Felix’s previous tone with a dash of sarcasm.

❀

Their first official date happened on a random day. Unsurprisingly, it was Felix’s idea and he didn’t ask or give Hyunjin any kind of notice about it. He just straight up ambushed Hyunjin out of his last class and _informed_ him they were going on a date. Hyunjin had no choice or power over it, he just ended up drinking a fancy overpriced macchiato and eating a pretty strawberry cake at a dog cafe, surrounded by cute dogs that liked him a lot better after he got food.

\- **I guess you come here often** – he observed, as Felix laughed and tried to keep the puppy on his lap away from their cake.

\- **Every now and then** – Felix answered, eating a spoon of cake afterwards. He looked so genuinely happy, Hyunjin could barely look away from his big smile.

\- **They seem to know you well.**

Felix turned his head to look at the golden retriever sitting right by his side on the couch, bursting into laughter when the huge dog put its paw on his arm right away. – **No, you can’t have cake.** – he told it, sweetly, but laughing again when the dog just pat his arm in response. – **I’ve been coming here since she was a puppy, so** – he turned to Hyunjin again.

\- **Maybe we should get one.** – Hyunjin suggested, half driven by the thought of seeing his soulmate that happy more often.

Felix seemed pleasantly surprised. – **It’s only our first date and you’re already thinking about adoption?** – he teased.

And then it was Hyunjin’s turn to feel surprised, mouth opening but no words coming out. Before he could manage any reaction, his attention was taken away by one of the puppies stealing cake from his spoon; Hyunjin looking at it in indignation while Felix laughed at them.

\- **I think we should properly date first.** – Felix argued in fake seriousness.

Hyunjin cleaned his spoon on a napkin. – **Is that you trying to make me your boyfriend?** – asked, as nonchalantly as he could manage.

\- **Well, since you like me** – his expression turned suggestive.

\- **I never said that.** – Hyunjin immediately denied, yet he was unable to take the teasing smile out of Felix’s lips.

\- **Do you believe him?** – he looked at the golden retriever again for a moment, holding its paw on his hand when it gave it to him once more and turning back to Hyunjin. – **She says you’re full of shit.**

\- **You’re ridiculous.** – Hyunjin looked away with a huffed laugh, trying to focus back on the cake.

\- **I’m your soulmate and living with you.** – Felix argued, he too laughing a little. – **It’s osmosis.**

Hyunjin took a big spoon of cake and force-fed it to him just to shut him up.

❀

Felix stopped by his bedroom, resting against the doorway with arms crossed at his chest and all his attention on Hyunjin. Then he smiled, as soon as Hyunjin actually looked up at him, and got closer to help him fix the shirt he had just put on. It was an over-sized one, made of thin soft fabric in almost the same shade of pink as the one Felix had dyed his hair with in the previous week – probably not a coincidence at all – and with no actual buttons aside from the ones on its sleeves, so it left part of his chest exposed even after Hyunjin crossed it a bit at his front and tucked it inside his pants. The high waist pants were also pink but a more vivid shade of it, fitting him perfectly with their elegant cut and built-in belt.

\- **I think my dad is taking advantage of company dinners to turn us into runway models.** – joked Felix, fixing the pendant in Hyunjin’s necklace too before looking up at him again. – **How am I supposed to control myself in public if you look this pretty and this hot at the same time?** – grumbled, falsely offended.

Hyunjin fought back a smile. – **Shut up.**

They had to attend one more company dinner, so James had gotten clothes for both of them again and the vague couple look was back. Like last time, their outfits were not the exact same model or even the same brand but, still, they looked fairly similar. Felix’s pants were all black rather than pink, not really as elegant as Hyunjin’s but made more attractive by the belt and chain Felix styled them with. His shirt was also thin and over-sized, not very different from Hyunjin’s specially when they both had just the front tucked inside their pants, but it was also all black instead and with buttons up its front that Felix could close to cover more of his chest if he just decided to. Once again, both of them looked maybe a little too good for a company dinner.

\- **You look really good too.** – Hyunjin confessed, noticing how Felix immediately smiled. – **Though that white suit was on a whole other level** – he continued, looking away nonchalantly. – **It took Jisung about two weeks to get over it**. – sighed, to which Felix laughed.

\- **How long did it take _you_?** – he teased, stepping closer in a way that almost brought their chests together.

\- **I didn’t really think about it.** – valiantly lied, yet keeping his eyes away from Felix’s.

Felix hummed. – **Really? Guess you got distracted by our first kiss then.** – that suggestion made Hyunjin close his eyes and sigh, waiting for the rest of it. – **Even if it wasn’t that good.** – and there it was.

\- **Will you ever let go of that?** – Hyunjin looked at him again on time to see him shake his head no with a laugh. – **Weren’t you gonna help me fix my makeup?** – he sighed then, rolling his eyes at his soulmate’s attitude.

\- **It’s looking quite good** – Felix got closer, looking down Hyunjin’s neck. – **Practice does make perfection.** – added in a purposely formal manner, slowly pushing Hyunjin’s chin up with a finger.

\- **Is that why you keep marking me up?** – he raised one eyebrow at him.

Before giving him any verbal reply, Felix ended the small distance between their bodies, wrapping one arm around Hyunjin’s waist while his other one still rested against Hyunjin’s chest, hand holding his chin in a delicate way. His lips met Hyunjin’s jawline in a slow, soft kiss.

\- **Felix**

\- **How can I not mark you up when it turns you on so much?** – his voice got deeper, as if the mumbled words weren’t enough of a provocation. – **And you moan so prettily at it too, I love it.** – and he smiled, looking up at Hyunjin again.

Hyunjin was the one kissing him first, not even minding the tint on Felix’s lips and just meeting them with his. A slow and long kiss, softer than the ones they first had and yet a lot more intense from the feelings it held.

He wasn’t sure if other people could tell that there was a difference. Maybe they could, even just from their entire posture on that company dinner when compared to the previous one. Not that Hyunjin enjoyed that kind of event any more but it almost seemed a little less boring now, with Felix by his side to constantly distract him from it. In a good way.

While last time Felix would hold his hand and keep close on purpose just to get on his nerves, during this dinner and respective after-party Felix didn’t really need to force it in any way. They both would just orbit around each other naturally, eyes meeting here and there and fingers intertwining every single time their hands got close enough. And every time anyone decided to comment on how nice of a couple they looked like, it would inevitably put a smile on each of them, now a genuine one since they were actually dating.

\- **You two are literally disgusting.** – Jisung declared as he returned to their table, expression torn between displeasure and a happy smile.

\- **Thought you supported our relationship.** – Felix answered first, unbothered by the accusation. He had one elbow propped at the back of Hyunjin’s chair and, just moments ago, he had been taking advantage of Hyunjin’s shirt design to get his fingers inside of it and tease him about how good he looked.

\- **Doesn’t make you any less disgusting.**

\- **Have you found your soulmate yet?** – Hyunjin promptly changed the subject, immediately getting an indignant expression out of his best friend.

\- **I have double checked each and every new business partner at this god damn party** – he protested. – **No one has white cyclamen! I’m losing my mind!**

Hyunjin fought back a smile at his friends misery, looking back at his own soulmate. Felix had been the one first noticing the change in Jisung’s soulmate mark, since they had been sitting next to each other, and he had thrown Jisung into a whole crisis because a white cyclamen had bloomed in his right ear and he was sure it didn’t happen before dinner. So, apparently, Jisung’s soulmate was at that party. He had spent the last hour trying to find out who it was.

\- **What about the waiters?** – Felix suggested, making Jisung’s expression turn into something close to shock.

\- **No** – he whispered.

Hyunjin tried again not to laugh. – **Maybe instead of getting a sugar daddy you’ll get the chance to _be_ one. **

\- **Shut your mouth** – Jisung nearly screeched. – **I was so ready for a sugar dad.** – sighed, resting back on his chair.

\- **Don’t be dramatic, it’s not like you need one anyway** – Hyunjin argued.

\- **Excuse me?!** – his best friend stared at him in disbelief. – **You have no right to tell me that, should I remind you of the drama _you_ made a few months ago?!** – argued, continuing to supposedly mimic Hyunjin’s his voice. – **_He’s the last person I wanted as soulmate, Jisung! This is a nightmare, they’ll force me to marry him!_**

Hyunjin closed his eyes at that, breathing in and glancing at Felix’s entertained expression before turning back to Jisung. – **Thanks, now he can make me regret every word.**

\- **As he should!** – Jisung spat at him.

\- **Jisung** – Yeji’s cheerful voice interrupted, getting their attention as she too returned to their table. – **I think you should meet cute bartender over there.** – suggested, clearly pleased with the idea.

Jisung’s eyes nearly jumped out of his face in panic before he actually turned to look at the other side of the room. For a moment, all of them just looked at the bar, watching the two waiters behind it prepare some drinks to the people around them. One of them was probably in his fifties but the other one seemed to be about their age; nice figure under a white shirt with sleeves folded up to his elbows, a polite cute smile on his handsome face and clearly the one Yeji was referring to.

Before any of them could comment on it, Jisung was getting up from his seat and walking to the bar, exchanging no more than a couple words with the other boy before he was dragging him out of the room.

❀

With his skin now clean and properly cared for, Hyunjin went back to his own room, stopping at the sight of Felix lying on his bed. He was not entirely sure if he could still call it _his_ room and _his_ bed. Yet he said nothing about it, simply walking to bed and lying down with a sigh next to his soulmate, only then actually getting his attention away from his phone.

\- **Tired?** – Felix put down his phone, turning to Hyunjin and easily lacing their bodies together.

\- **Do I get cuddles if I say yes?** – he was exhausted, from the party and all the people there.

Felix smiled at the idea. – **Maybe**. – one of his hands intertwined their fingers while the other one ran to brush Hyunjin’s hair away from his front. – **Though** – he squinted at him then, in fake thought. – **From the last person you wanted as your soulmate?**

Hyunjin sighed again, this time with a small laugh. – **Shut up, you didn’t want me either.**

\- **That’s different, though.** – argued with a smile, moving closer. – **And there was a time when I had a crush on you, so –**

\- **Liar!** – Hyunjin protested in a whisper, lightly slapping Felix’s thigh where his hand rested.

\- **Am not** – as payback, Felix pinched his nipple, making him laugh and curl a bit on himself even though it didn’t hurt at all.

\- **When did you ever have a crush on me?** – when he moved back into his position, Felix was right there, a couple centimeters away, close enough for Hyunjin to kiss him if he wished to. So he did.

Felix laughed into his mouth before replying to him. – **Middle school?**

\- **You’re making that up**. – Hyunjin huffed, moving away enough to look at him again.

Felix laughed again. – **Why is it hard to believe?** – teased, slightly indignant. – **When we were twelve you were the prettiest boy at school, everyone had a crush on you.** – he argued still.

It was Hyunjin’s turn to laugh. – **I could never tell. And you didn’t tell me either.** – his voice turned calmer, like the way they were looking at each other resting on the pillow. – **Hope I didn’t break little Felix’s heart back then.**

\- **It wasn’t that serious of a crush.** – Felix argued with a smile. – **He forgot all about it when he met other pretty boys in high school.** – added suggestively.

\- **Thought you were a pure church boy during high school.** – Hyunjin added, mimicking his tone and staring back into his eyes, easily catching the glint of entertainment in them.

\- **What do you think pure church boys do when they all go camping together?** – he raised one eyebrow at him.

\- **Are you trying to make me jealous?** – he moved closer, caressing Felix’s nose with his own. He got kissed.

\- **I’m all yours now.** – Felix whispered into his mouth between soft slow kisses.

Hyunjin smiled at it, kissing back and allowing them to just be like that for a long moment, starting to drift off to sleep between tender kisses and sweet caresses and silent smiles. A couple months ago he couldn’t even imagine there would come a time when he would be like that with Felix, out of all people, or that it would ever feel so peaceful and comfortable.

\- **I really regret being such an idiot to you for so long.** – he mumbled, sleepy and barely audible at all. – **Things could’ve been a lot dif–**

Felix shut him up with a kiss. – **It would’ve been boring, don’t think about it.** – he argued, followed by more kisses and cuddles and him nuzzling against Hyunjin’s neck until both of them actually fell asleep.

❀

\- **You were right.** – Jisung barged in as soon as Hyunjin opened the door for him. That sentence was so ridiculously out of character it took Hyunjin a whole minute just to filter it through to his brain.

\- **I was?** – he mumbled, closing the door again and turning to Jisung.

His friend was already taking his shoes off and walking inside. – **I was surprised too!** – he did a double take next to the kitchen’s door, probably noticing Felix and walking there instead. – **Hi, Lix! So it looks like I will be _forced_ to become a sugar daddy, really, cause Changbin is broke.** – continued anyway, as Hyunjin just followed him. – **And I don’t mean _can’t afford Gucci_ broke, I mean he works _three_ part-time jobs to pay rent on a fucking _rooftop_ room, that kind of broke!** – he sat down at their table, visibly stressed.

Hyunjin looked at Felix’s confused expression and back at his friend. – **Who’s Changbin?**

\- **My soulmate.** – Jisung easily answered, continuing after getting no reaction. – **Y’know, the cute bartender I ran from the party with? Might’ve gotten him fired from that job, now that I think of it.** – he furrowed his eyebrows at the end.

\- **Wasn’t that, like, _yesterday_?** – Hyunjin was still very confused.

Jisung looked up at him like Hyunjin was the dumbest person he’d ever meet. – **Yes, honey, not all of us need six months to make it right with our soulmates.**

\- **He has a point.** – Felix laughed, turning back to the counter and continuing to prepare their food.

\- **It didn’t take six months** – Hyunjin simply mumbled, pouting slightly.

\- **Are you guys having lunch right now?** – Jisung changed the subject, like he noticed only at that moment that Felix was cooking at all.

\- **More like brunch, actually.** – Felix replied first, with a small laugh, while still focused on the food.

\- **It’s 6 p.m.**

\- **Time is a social construct.** – Hyunjin argued, getting another stare from Jisung.

\- **It’s still 6 fucking p–**

\- **Well, we were busy earlier.** – he interrupted right away, ignoring his friend’s apparent realization and promptly changing the subject back. – **So what else about... what’s his name again? Changbin?**

\- **It’s Changbin hyung for you, sir.** – Jisung’s whole posture changed; back straightening up and chin rising to maybe try to make him look like some important individual. Hyunjin arched one eyebrow at him. – **He’s really cute** – he broke down in seconds, smiling to himself like some kind of idiot. – **And really hot at the same time?** – his speech quickened as enthusiasm and slight indignation built up. – **I mean you saw him, right? Polite smile out, he looks all sharp and kinda threatening and not gonna lie when I first grabbed his arm to get him out of that party I was scared cause, man.** – he breathed in deep and sighed. – **He could punch me back into my dad’s balls if he wanted to.**

\- **You were never on your dad’s balls** – Hyunjin simply commented. He could hear Felix laughing.

\- **Shut up I’m not bringing my mom into this conversation.** – Jisung grumble-whispered, soon going back to his previous tone. – **Anyway he looks like he could wreck me in five seconds but then I start talking to him and he’s so cute? And adorable? So I take him home. _Obviously_. And I find out he loves music as much as I do and he’s quite smart and he looks even hotter riding me and I think I’m in love?** – and he stops there, eyes opening wider like he was realizing his own feelings only at that very moment.

Hyunjin stared at him. – **I didn’t need that much information, actually.**

\- **What he means is we’re excited to meet him too** – Felix _corrected_ , bringing a big plate with a sliced egg-roll and stir-fried vegetables and finally sitting with them at the table. – **We should all go out sometime this week.**

\- **Only if you two don’t act like disgusting newlyweds with no sense of decency.** – Jisung argued, expression turning displeased.

\- **Who are you to even speak of decency?** – Hyunjin grumbled back, while Felix–

\- **Well if my love for _my boyfriend_ makes you uncomfortable just deal with it. Silently.** – and he smiled as sarcastically sweet as possible.

Jisung stared pointedly at each of them for a couple seconds. – **I liked you so much better when you hated each other’s asses.**

❀

He wanted something simple. Unique, special and good enough for Felix but still simple, with the option to be upgraded with the presence of a second ring in a couple of years. So he ended up meeting with a local jewel designer who agreed to personalize one of her pieces into a beautiful thin white gold engagement band, with ten small ruby stones separated by equally small diamonds between each of them. It made sense to him, since their soulmate mark had ten red peach blossoms. Then he had it stored in an all-black velvet ring box and tried his best to keep it hidden from his boyfriend for the couple of days that preceded his birthday.

Seemed like the proper occasion. Felix’s parents had organized him a birthday party, as usual, so their entire family and some close friends were all walking around in the Lee’s big living room, drinking champagne and eating pretty canapes and giving Felix birthday presents. Felix was almost too busy smiling and thanking everyone around him.

\- **Nervous?** – Jeongin whispered, stopping by Hyunjin’s side. He was the only other person who knew about Hyunjin’s plan, since he was the one Hyunjin went to for a second opinion on the ring.

\- **Didn’t think I’d be but I’ve never been this nervous in my life.** – he whispered back; the feeling at the top of his stomach leaving him almost breathless. He heard Jeongin’s bubbly laugh before actually looking at him.

\- **We already know he’s gonna say yes.** – he grinned at him.

\- **Doesn’t really make me less nervous.** – Hyunjin grumbled, frowning. – **Who gave you champagne?** – asked then, ready to scold the boy who just rolled eyes at him.

\- **Miss me with that underage bullshit, it’s my best friend’s birthday.** – Jeongin argued with a smile, already used to having Hyunjin reminding him about how he was not legally an adult. – **Just go, I’ll record it.** – he shooed Hyunjin away with his free hand.

\- **Record what?** – Minho appeared out of nowhere, giving them both a curious look while wrapping one arm around Jeongin’s waist.

\- **None of your business.** – his boyfriend promptly replied to him, smiling.

Minho’s expression morphed into an indignant one. – **You two have secrets now?!**

\- **Stop grabbing my ass and go get me food.** – Jeongin nearly demanded, calmly looking back at Minho. Hyunjin too looked back at them, in disbelief; bending a little to look behind Jeongin, he confirmed his friend was really grabbing his boyfriend’s ass right there in the middle of a birthday party.

\- **Your ass looks great in these jeans.** – Minho’s voice too got calmer, pleased smile directed at Jeongin.

\- **I know** – he smiled back. – **You can eat it later if you go and get me food like I asked.** – and he raised one eyebrow at Minho, who just sighed and walked away again.

\- **Why are you two like this** – Hyunjin mumbled at the scene.

\- **I’m getting my phone.** – Jeongin simply warned, using his free hand to take his phone out of his jacket’s pocket.

So Hyunjin took a deep breath, slowly breathing it out and walking towards Felix. That nervous feeling at the top of his stomach was still there but he forced himself to ignore it, focusing only on his boyfriend and soulmate.

Felix was wearing his gorgeous white suit again, only styled completely different since the weather was now a lot colder, so Hyunjin had decided to wear his similar black suit to. He thought maybe it would be fair if he proposed while they were wearing the same suits as when they first kissed – or, if he were to be completely honest, when he first noticed he was falling for Felix, even if he wouldn’t admit it back then.

\- **You’ve been running away from me the whole night.** – Felix accused as soon as Hyunjin got close enough, he too stepping closer to him.

\- **I was building up the courage to come talk to the hottest boy in the room.** – he joked lightly, trying to push his nervousness away. And Felix just huffed a laugh at it, getting one arm around his waist and stealing a kiss from Hyunjin right there.

\- **Please don’t start being disgusting again.** – Jisung’s voice interrupted them, making Felix step away again.

Hyunjin took the chance before his nervousness made him throw up or something. Of course Jisung interrupting them was not ideal but it ended up being a good way to distract Felix for just the couple of seconds it took Hyunjin to get the ring box out of his suit’s inside pocket. He took one more deep breath as he presented the box to Felix.

\- **Holy shit** – Jisung was the first one reacting, loud enough to get the attention of most people around them.

In a matter of seconds, the whole room fell completely silent. Felix was too, looking at the box in front of him and then up at Hyunjin. And Hyunjin simply looked back at him too, swallowing his nervousness before looking down at the box again, slowly opening it to show the ring inside. He got down on one knee.

\- **Will you marry me?**

Felix kept silent. For a little eternity, he just stared right back into Hyunjin’s eyes, apparently too surprised to answer. Then he smiled, looked away at nowhere and then back at Hyunjin, laughing. Hyunjin felt like his heart was too close to his throat, having absolutely no idea what Felix was laughing at.

That was when Felix put one hand inside his own suit, he too taking out a ring box. When he turned it to Hyunjin and opened it to show him a similar ring, Hyunjin understood.

\- **Are you fucking kidding** – Jisung was the one to voice out his thoughts.

\- **Jisung, watch your language!** – his mother whisper-shouted at him, though Hyunjin could barely hear it as he started laughing too.

He stood back up, looking at Felix and then back at the ring. Not only they had the idea to propose on the same day, their rings were also very similar: both white gold, with exactly ten small ruby stones and small diamonds between them, with the only difference being the way the rings were actually made.

Felix took his ring out of the box, getting Hyunjin’s left hand to perfectly slide into his ring finger, and Hyunjin copied the gesture right away, sliding his ring into Felix’s ring finger. It was a perfect fit, just like them.

\- **After college?** – he looked back up at Felix, watching him laugh again.

\- **After college.** – Felix agreed, pulling him into a kiss that was promptly interrupted by everyone else cheering for them.


End file.
